» Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:42 am "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
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The Catalyst
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Act I
Chapter One
Winterhold
Dawn
A group of mercenaries have arrived at the Jannus Mansion in Winterhold, a large and opulent building near the center of town. The front gates open up to a rich garden filled with whatever plant and flower can survive the cold Skyrim weather. A number of people are gathered in the library on the second floor, a room that seems somehow more lively than the spacious foyer and corridoors, both of which seem to give off a clean cold aura. Instead the library is warm and soft, books fill every shelf in the room (and there are many shelves) and are even stacked on top of the shelfs, reaching towards the high ceiling. A fire crackles lazily in a far corner, surrounded by comfortable looking chairs and reading tables. Towards the far end of the corner is an expensive looking desk framed by a large window behind it. A tall Imperial with wavy brown hair is standing behind it surveying the room and its occupants. Despite a noticeable gut, the man looks physically fit for his age, which has to be approaching his late forties.
As the ornate oak door in the far end swings silently back into its frame behind a wide eyed Dumner in dark leather, the Imperial nods appreciately, spreading his hands in a welcoming gesture.
"Ah, I think this is all of us." He says in a smooth baritone voice. "I'm Lariul Jannus, as you might already have known, allow me to welcome you to my home. Please, gather around, we have a number of things to discuss and I'm sure you are all eager to learn what my exciting offer entails. If you would be so kind to take one parchment each and give it a glance, it contains the ultimate goal of our task and the rewards available when it is all over."
A small stack of yellow parchment is placed on the edge of the desk. Each piece is identical and contains the following text written in block letters using midnight black ink:
~~~~~~~~~~
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FROM THE DESK OF LARIUL JANNUS
TO THE SOUTHWEST OF WINTERHOLD
IS A TOMB BELONGING TO ARELAS
A DUMNER MAGE WHOM HISTORY HAS
FORGOTTEN.
YOUR TASK IS AS FOLLOWS
THE PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE
OF LADIA JANNUS IN HER QUEST
TO RECOVER A MAGICAL ARTIFACT
FROM THE TOMB OF ARELAS
A REWARD OF 5000 SEPTIMS WILL
BE AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO SURVIVE
IN ADDITION ANY ITEMS OR WEAPONS
YOU MIGHT FIND ON YOUR JOURNEY
ARE YOURS TO KEEP
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A smaller, narrower script covers the lower half of the page
Little is known of Arelas after he arrived in Skyrim but his early life in Vvardenfel was well documented by the Telvanni mages whom he worked with for well over 50 years. Our researchers have read through most of it and it seems he was quite renowed as a mage in his younger years but his power and interest in the grey areas of magic eventually led to his forced departure and banishment from the Telvanni towers and their affiliated areas in Vvardenfel. The whole ordeal caused quite a stir in the magical circles around him and much of the records around that time have been destroyed or hidden. We have however determined that as he left Vvardenfel he stole something of value from the Telvanni which caused them to search for him for years, but with little success. The tomb we will be exploring was only just recently discovered as his final resting place when a group of Winterhold College apprentices found his name etched on a stone door they were unable to open as it is locked with an intricate lock. I have paid off the College and their apprentices have left the area relatively untouched. I believe we have learned how to unlock the door and our objective is to do so, explore whatever hides behind it, and hopefully recover the object Arelas stole from the Telvanni mages.
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"I'll give you a few moments to read the note and well, make introductions if you like, as I'm still waiting for my daughter, Ladia, to join us." Lariul continued, sitting down at his desk. He appears to be calmly observing the group in front of him but his grey eyes shine with excitement.
RULES:
Basic:
1. Play your character to his or her particular talents and personality traits. Be aware of their limitations and act accordingly.
2. Try to use correct English grammar and spelling.
3. Be polite towards your host and fellow players unless you have previously discussed and agreed upon a conflict between two characters.
4. Out of character discussion should be posted in the discussion thread if at all possible.
Rules particular to this RP:
1. You may ask the host to describe any location, character, item, or situation. The reply will be neutral (Akin to a storyteller speaking to the reader) Simply put the request in bold without compromising the integrity of the RP. Example: "After climbing through the narrow opening, he stops to take a look around."
2. You may also search containers or dead bodies or anything of that sort if you feel like it, using the same method as above, you might find items or gain more information, but it is unlikely. (There is no point searching everything)
3. If you want to weave your own subplot into the storyline, just send me a PM and I'll try my best. Same goes if you wish to leave the RP, in which case I will try to give you an opening to leave, or at least a somewhat heroic death.
CHARACTERS:
Creation
Spoiler
Name:Boden Drolnor
Race: Dunmner
Age: 23
Birthsign: The Shadow
Class: Ranger/Hunter
Skills: Boden has spent most of his advlt life as a hunter and has become quite competent in archery and tracking. He was never the marksman most seasoned hunters are but he made up for it with a surprising ability when it comes to tracking and following his prey silently.
General Appearance: He is quite tall for a Dumner, almost as tall as the average Nord. His long face and tall cheekbones are framed by a curtain of dirty black hair that reaches his shoulders. He is rather skinny but his grip is strong.
Clothing/Armour: Leather armour covering his torso and outer thighs. He wears simple clothing underneath; Mud brown cotton trousers and a sleeveless shirt. His leather boots are tall and quite sturdy looking.
Weapons: A well cared for wooden bow, a quiver full of homemade arrows tipped with iron. He also carries a small iron dagger on his belt.
Other items: A small pouch on his back with a rolled up kit of homemade bow maintance tools consisting of a couple of vials of oil and a spare bowstring.
Biography/History: A third generation Dumner in Skyrim, Boden was born and raising in the far east corner of Skyrim on a farm with his parents. He learned and participated in hunting with his father as a child before moving away to live on his own at the age of 16. He spent the next 5 years of his life traveling through Skyrim with various hunters, never stopping long in one place and not making many friends. After a while he grew tired of chasing game through the cold Skyrim winters and settled down in Markarth where he works as a mercenary and the occasional thief. He found a notice pinned to the wall of the nearest inn promising adventure and gold and he hastily set out to travel to Winterhold in hopes of excitement and riches.
Aussie_made
Spoiler
Name: Husam Al-Din
Race: Redguard
Age: 25
Birthsign: The Serpent
Class: Rogue
Skills/Talents: Being born under the birthsign of ‘The Serpent’ the tribal elders decreed the child a rogue long before he ever had the chance to deny such a destiny. Husam was gifted with a natural knack for swordplay, picking up the more difficult craft of duel swordsmanship quicker than many of his forefathers and while he is by no means an expert, several more years of not dying would render him somewhat close. He also took to Alchemy, mixing the poisonous and deadly plants of the Great Desert into potent potions to use on unsuspecting enemies.
The boy turned man always struggled with magika, specifically the school of illusion (despite his birthsign) and although he is agile and quick he prefers to face his enemies head on in a fight instead of sneaking around them. Though Illusion and sneak are skills of his, they are critical elements that he needs to work on.
General Appearance: Husam is of average height and athletic muscular build. Tribal tattoos cover his arms, crawling up from his wrists, past his shoulder to cover his pecks and full back. He boasts quite traditional cornrows which fall to about shoulder height. A full mouth goatee covers a small chin scar while his hazel eyes remind those around of the Serpent he was born under. Too young to possess any wrinkles or other blemishes his wide flat nose and a resting frowned face give off a mean demeanour despite his jovial personality.
Clothing/Armour: The Redguard is strapped in leather as it wraps itself around his belly and works its way up as far it can go towards his armpits but without covering his chest. His thigh and forearms are also strapped with his leather sandals stretching from his feet up to his shins. All of this is covered in the traditional garbs of Hammerfell from the neck down.
Due to the displacement of Husam he has also adopted a thick nord-made scarf to save his face from the freezing winds of Skyrim. He also brandishes a thick furred bear hide coverall, a trophy from a chance encounter turned a useful tool in the north parts of Cyrodiil.
Weapons: Shorter skinnier scimitar’s (unsure if there’s actually a name for these but think God of War just less ridiculous) strapped to his back.
Other Items: Small satchel containing mortar and pestle, few corked vials and poisonous plants/herbs (Unsure if I have to be specific here).
Biography/History: Born into a nomadic dune dweller tribe that roamed the Alik’r Desert, Husam was far from the petty quarrels of the Forebearers and the Crowns. The band was a traditional mystic bunch that lived and died by the unique geographical harshness of Hammerfell. Each member of the tribe had a place and a role to fulfil from day 1 in their world.
It was decided by the tribe elders that Husam was to grow up as a scout, a pivotal role of tribe protection though the young Redguard wanted anything but. He would constantly use his taught skills to sneak away from the group to explore the many great ruins of the desert in search of treasure and adventure. Occasionally the group would encounter merchants or be forced to sell artefacts in the great cities of Sentinel, it was during these times where Husam would let the locals fill his head with dreams and visions of something better, something more than their meek existence.
The young boys good looks and charm served the tribe well on such occasions and eventually as he grew he not only became one of their scouts but their barterer too. But the lure of something better proved too much and at the age of 20 Husam set off leaving Hammerfell, taking to the winds with a wide eye youthfulness, ignorant of the tribes warnings.
Five years on and Husam has found the world to be just as cruel as the desert once was. He has no heroic tale, no fortune, fame nor glory. Now stuck roaming the northern mountains of Skyrim as a mercenary, the only way to earn any sort of decent coin, the Redguard still holds on to hope of finding an adventure for the ages.
Athell
Spoiler
Name: Andros Dravasi
Race: Dunmer
Age: 25
Class: Battlemage
Skills/Talents: Andros’ main skills lie with his spear handling which after many lonely nights alone he has honed to be at least competitive if not overly formidable yet. He supplements this skill with a basic arsenal of destruction and alteration spells. Andros would be considered light footed but not especially strong.
General Appearance: Slight to the effect of being almost gaunt, his skin looks stretched across his bones. Due to this his face is angular and striking in a way that can appear haughty by those who don’t know him. Any hair he has is pulled into a tight pony tail clasped with a golden circlet.
Clothing/Armour: A full set of Netch leather armor from his homeland, when fully dressed for battle or travelling his entire body is covered barring a small section of his face to allow him to see. This is an adaption he has made since he arrived in Skyrim to deal with the unfamiliar temperature.
Weapons: A silver tipped spear and a steel dagger strapped to his thigh for when a spear is inpractical.
Other items: A small leather pack that contains a small amount of food, a water-skin, a small coil of wire, a functional knife, a flint, a small box with dry fabric inside, a small notebook and a small pot. Alongside this he has a small blanket.
Biography/History: After a very brief tutelage at the mages guild remnants in Morrowind Andros decided that the life of academia lacked any interest for him and he travelled to Skyrim to study the Ancient Nordic ruins and abandoned Dwermeri cities there. He funded this interest by using his skill set to operate as a low level mercenary.
MrSmileySmile
Spoiler
Name: Yugruf gro Buzrog
Race: Male Orc
Age: 33
Birthsign: The Steed
Class: Ex-Foot Soldier, Currently a Sellsword
Skills/Talents: Yugruf has a very basic set of skills just sufficient to keep him alive. As a foot soldier he was considered quite expendable, and so was equipped with and trained to use armor and armaments that were equally expendable. It does not take long to teach an Orc how to swing an axe. While as a rather large Orc he would likely fare well in Heavy Armor such is a luxury not afforded to one so lowly.
General Appearance: Yugruf is slightly larger than the average Orc, which is to say he's a rather large fellow. His size and his typical Orc features prevent him from winning any beauty pageants. He has a particularly porcine nose and small beady eyes. He is also quite hairy, bushy unkempt eyebrows and above that long bushy hair pulled back in a tangled ponytail. You may wish to avert your eyes.
Clothing/Armour: Yugruf wears a mixture of Leather and Fur armor. The latter crudely sewn onto the former. His bulk and the Fur combined are enough to keep him uncomfortable but not quite shivering in these mountainous regions.
Weapons: A simple Iron Axe and a Banded Iron Shield. He also carries an Orcish Dagger wrapped up in the furs about his waist. Though they are simple tools he keeps them immaculate.
Other items: A large bag that straps across his back for long trips. Inside it are simple tools to keep him alive. A sharpening stone, a small pot, a large rolled up fur skin, and a simple blade for dressing and butchering. His large bag is mostly empty as he lacks the means to fill it with pleasantries or the sophistication to have any idea what pleasantries are.
Biography/History: Yugruf was a simple foot soldier for a simple Orcish would-be Warlord. Things happened, with one of the "Warlord"s wives, and Yugruf was sent rather unceremoniously on his way. Since then he has plied his trade and found Skyrim to be, as of late, a place where work is always just around the corner. While more pleasant climates would be wonderful Yugruf has just enough sense to realize that pleasant climates mean more competition and more competition means an empty stomach.
Personality: Yugruf tends to be rather direct. Subtlety, sarcasm, and irony are all quite incomprehensible to him. Though he is proud of what he has accomplished he doubts he will go much further. He has a low opinion of himself, though he reacts poorly to others agreeing with him in that regard.
S_o_E
Spoiler
Name: Amelia Miro
Race: Imperial
Age:21
Birthsign: The Lady
Class: Warrior
Skills/Talents:
2-handed (axe), heavy armour, a little something
General Appearance:
At just over 6ft, Amelia towers over most women and a lot of men too. She has a tendency to stoop or lean against things when standing still to disguise her height, which has been the subject of many a cruel joke while she was growing up.
She has an angular face, slightly too wide and with a nose slightly too large to be considered beautiful, and her eyes and hair are of a relatively plain brown colour.
Clothing/Armour:
Amelia wears iron armour, which is old and has been patched (with varying amounts of success) in several places. Her gloves and boots are made of leather and of slightly better quality. Underneath her armour, Amelia wears plain clothing which may have been green once, but has faded and been patched too many times to really tell.
Weapons:
A steel battleaxe, worn like the rest of her gear, but well sharpened and looked after
Other items:
A knapsack containing a number of books, some foodstuffs and a small amount of money.
Biography/History:
As the only child of a couple of booksellers, her parents naturally expected Amelia to take over their store one day. Unfortunately, while Amelia always had her nose in a book as a child, she showed no business acumen whatsoever and instead dreamed of adventure. As soon as she was old enough, she spend whatever money she earned on weaponry lessons. Her armsmaster quickly realised that Amelia's even increasing height - and thus reach - would be well suited to using a battleaxe, a weapon she took to readily.
Amelia fell out with her parents when she was 16, after a particularly heated argument about her refusal to take over the bookshop. She spent the next three years living in cheap boarding houses, making money from reading and writing letters for people unable to do so themselves - it didn't pay we'll, but Amelia put aside whatever she could until she had enough money to buy an axe and some old armour of her own. From that moment on she has been travelling, determined to find adventure and make her fortune. Given that she is still wearing the ramshackle armour she bought two years ago, it seems that it hasn't gone so well up until now...
FC4
Spoiler
Name: Dagnar Wolfsbane
Real name: Anathon Sageblade
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Race: Nord
Birthsign: Apprentice
Class: Winterhold Student/Mercenary
Skills: Wilderness Survival, Close Combat, Tracking, Light Armor, Destruction, Alteration, Illusion, Restoration. His life in a Nordic village prepared him for hardship and altercation. By the time he left his village at 20, he could survive alone in the wilderness and hunt his own food competently, was at home in leather and fur armor, and adept at close quarters combat with daggers, short swords, and axes. He attended the College of Winterhold to learn the ways of magic, and has found the schools of Alteration, Illusion, and Restoration useful for one with his special relationship with magic. Destruction is a natural choice for a Nord raised to fight. He has never used these spells outside of a classroom.
Appearance: Standing at 5’ 10” tall, he does strike a more imposing appearance than the average man, though your stereotypical Nord still leaves him in their shadow. He is built with the features known to his people: squared jaw, boxy face, and fit, athletic muscling. Again, he is leaner than one might imagine a Nord, but clearly a man who has lived an unforgiving lifestyle. His hair falls to shoulders, usually bound by a ponytail, and is naturally dark blond; when concealing his identity his hair is black and left loose. His eyes are a metallic blue: brown when he conceals himself. He achieves concealment with illusion magic. His voice is surprisingly childish, betraying his imposing stature.
Armor/Clothes: When not in his armor, he wears the fine blue woolen cloth of the Winterhold Mages. Unable to separate himself from his people, however, he still wears his black leather, fur lined bracers over the sleeves of the robe. His armor is a full set of leather and fur, died black and lined along the edges with the fur of a white wolf. That wolf’s teeth were set along the face of the helm to give him a more imposing visage.
Weapons: Dwarven dagger inherited from his great-grandfather. It is enchanted with Health absorption. An iron hatchet used for utility more than battle but capable of both.
Inventory: His ‘Spellarium’ he calls it, or a primary spellbook from his classes, filled with his notes and focused primarily on his more favored spells. He carries it in a messenger bag.
Bio: Born in an isolated village on the Northern coast of Skyrim, Anathon was raised to be a warrior and scout, to eventually enlist in the Imperial Legion as his father had done before him. He therefore learned to hunt and fight from the time he could walk, and at fifteen was given his great grandfather’s Dwarven dagger, passed on through the generations because his great grandfather had discovered it during a raid by his troop on brigands making camp in a Dwemer ruin. The enchantment saved his life when he suffered a fatal blow from a sneak attack that day and fought back.
The giving of the dagger was a sign that he was accepted as a man by his father, ready to join the Legion. But that day brought a different change to his life. Anathon was always more in tune with the world around him than his peers, but touching the dagger showed him he was really sensing magic. His Apprentice birthsign leaves him more sensitive to the ebbs and flows of mystical energy, and the dagger –being the first known magical source to touch him- revealed this. He had found magic fascinating while growing up, and experimented occasionally with little success. But with proof of his potential in his own hands, he decided he had to explore this talent further.
His father disapproved, naturally, but Anathon promised to enlist once he figured out just what he was capable of. He set out for Winterhold and studied there for five years before becoming restless. His blood longed for battle and adventure, as he was raised to be, and yet he did nothing but study and practice casting spells in classrooms. When the Jarl Lariul Jannus left notices of mercenaries requested, Anathon saw his chance to put his studies to the test. Concealing his identity by changing his features with illusion magic, Anathon has skipped his lessons in Winterhold and gone to make a name for himself as any Nord should.
AdethRivers
Spoiler
Alias: Adethus Monaris
Real Name: Adeth Rivers
Race: Imperial
Age: 25
Birthsign: The Lady
Class: Conman / self-proclaimed Jack-of-all-trades / Imperial Ranger
Skills/Talents: Lockpicking, pickpocket, short blade, speechcraft-ish
General Appearance: https://s-media-cach...2afe1d5236f.jpg
He's build very lean and wiry muscled
Clothing/Armour: https://staticdelive...-1380993262.jpg, darker shade with a very used cape held fast with an imperial dragon buckle.
Weapons: Two steel kukris, a steel imperial bow and an almost full quiver of arrows
Other items: a small satchel with assorted lockpicks, a few bear traps, a few hundred septims
Biography/History: Originally from the streets of Riften where he learned most of his thieving skills. Very unremarkable life, growing in an orphanage. He had a typical thug life which he keeps a secret from everyone who doesn't know him. Very known in Riften for petty thievery and rumor mongering and lies of his exploits.
One day some imperial soldiers were hunting him with hounds and rangers, running into a group of bandits and deciding to hide from both in his cowardice. He hid in the bushes and watched the soldiers getting killed by the bandits, stealing a ranger's equipment afterwards and leaving his hometown behind for ever, forging a new identity as Adethus Monaris, a former Ranger in the Imperial army. A ranger who's seen the world and accomplished many things despite his young age
Sch
Spoiler
Name: Auredhel
Race: Altmer
Age: 28
Birthsign: The Lord
Class: Mage
Skills/Talents: Agile, fast and strong; Auredhel has the skills of a monk but none of the piety. He keeps a cudgel and a dagger at his waist, but prefers to fight with fists and spells, disarming, debilitating and tiring out his enemies. He mostly pulls from the Restoration, Alteration and Mysticism schools, but has been studying enchanting on and off for some time, and is just now starting to get the hang of it.
General Appearance: Auredhel could almost be mistaken for an Orc from a distance. His skin is the pale gold of an old coin, or like the iris of a blinded cat. Just shy of seven feet tall, his broad back and wide shoulders are not typical of his race. He has large hands with thick, scarred knuckles and long, tapered fingers. His face is decidedly Elven; angular with high cheekbones, aquiline nose, long chin. He has thin lips and sharp-looking teeth. His head is clean-shaven. His eyes are wild, dark and shallow, like the eyes of a boar.
Clothing/Armour: Plain, dark grey robe with tight-fitting black pants and shirt underneath. Black fur gloves and boots.
Weapons: Small (foot-and-a-half) iron baton and a silver dagger.
Other items: Ring enchanted with fire damage (he has to physically touch the enemy for it to burn them as of now), wooden spoon enchanted with blind and slow (unreliable; sometimes still blinds the opponent but causes them to be very strong and decreases their agility instead of their speed), boots with fortify speed and muffle. Has a small satchel holding a bone pipe, some soul gems, cured meats, a water jug, a bowl and a mortar and pestle.
Biography/History: Auredhel grew up in a small community of Altmer in Haven, Valenwood. He took to studying magic from a young age, with the help of his parents and other Altmer in his part of town. When he was just a small boy his father showed him the basics of his family’s business, woodwork and carpentry. It was an odd profession in Valenwood, where it was forbidden to cut down trees, but profitable because no Bosmer could do the job. They would have to either import wood from Cyrodiil, which was expensive, or go on ‘lumber runs’ across the border into Elsweyr, which was dangerous.
Over time, Auredhel grew adept at moving through the forest. Eating the meat and milk diet of the Bosmer along with heavy lifting for most of his life had caused him to grow large. He could have become a great heavily-armoured knight if he had wanted, but during their excursions into Elsweyr he learned the efficacy of travelling light. He learned to fight without armour, and to defend himself with just a dagger, or a cudgel, or his hands, with the help of his growing repertoire of magic.
He started to like the travel and danger more than his trade and would take on extra work here and there, tracking down thieves or bandits, smuggling drugs back from Elsweyr, or acting as a bodyguard. He slowly drifted apart from his family, taking jobs farther and farther away from home.
In Cyrodiil, he was hired by an old Breton man who wanted accompaniment to Winterhold. He had never visited Skyrim, and the man was offering a ton of money, so Auredhel decided to go along.
