Books of Tamriel

Old and generally outdated discussions, with the rare hidden gem. Enter at your own risk.

Moderators: Haplo, Lead Developers

Locked
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Books of Tamriel

Post by Arcadea »

Anything books realeated post here. Thanks. Formerly Arcadea.

Books of Tamriel Staff
Geowulf-Head
Arcadea-Writer
Crowbar-Writer
Kevaar-Writer
haplo12345-Writer
(Classchreater-Editor)
Man From the South-Writer
(Enisis-Editor)
(Skurvey-Editor)

SpellBooks
Lord Gallant-Head
Earl Writer/Editor
Arcadea-writer
(Jon-writer)
Zombie-Writer
King_Lysandus -Writer

()this around thier name means I don't now If thier still working with this part of the project.
Last edited by Arcadea on Sat Nov 01, 2003 11:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
SquallTM
Member
Posts: 630
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:14 am
Location: In the Deeps of Latvia...
Contact:

Post by SquallTM »

Actually I think that the post from the old forums should be copied, we had some discussions about this topic there.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

Don't now how. I do need some one to look for something for me if any one has time????

Web page Aldrien's Chalice

Pluggin's Name 20 books
Auther Zdim
Catergory: Objects and Items
Date 6/1/2003

Pluggin's name: Argonia
Auther Scribe of Black Marsh

Catergory total converseions
Date 1?10?2002

That last one was broken so I don't now more but it could be vital so if any one can help look for it I would be grate full.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
Geowulf
Member
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:28 am
Contact:

Post by Geowulf »

The 20 books plugin can also be downloaded from Morrowind Summit. I haven't looked at it in detail but according to the descriptions it looks like Zdim has copied real life literature in Morrowind. Pretty sure it conflicts with lore.
Read the Books of Tamriel @ http://geowulf.tamriel-rebuilt.org

Currently doing:
- Bal Oyra interiors fix
- Bosmora, warehouse and indoor market
OOT status:
BoT (v1.4.)
CoT (v1.0.)
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

Hey long time no see. Your probbaly right. Have you hheard anything about the other Argonia?
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

It won't be going into TR. I looked at it last night though it is interesting and I sugest others to read it for fun but it won't be part of TR.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Old BOoks here

Post by Arcadea »

Arcadea
I don't now where Geowulf is or When he'd been on last but Figured this would be a good idea. If you have any ideas, questions, or sugestions about Books of Tamriel or stories you want included post it here. Thank you.

Geowulf
Yes indeed. If you want to write an ingame book for Tamriel Rebuilt. Just post your work in here.

Arcadea
Glad to see ya boss. It's been awile but I gues it's back to work. Oh can you sen me Books of tamriel pluggin at ChrisSilWing@aol.com. I need them for Black lights library. Thanks.

cyc0_n1nj4
Here's my submission. I hope you like it.



-All in a days work………

It was an average day at the Black Shalk corner club in Vivec. The air was heavy with the stench of alcohol, pipe smoke, and a few patrons who had wondered in from the country to sell their goods in town. A stranger walked into the door seemingly unnoticed by the chattering drunkards and wenches. He was dressed in a simple black hooded robe. But, by the sound of his footsteps it was safe to say that he was wearing netch leather boots, and possibly a full suit of netch leather underneath. He walked purposely towards a dark elf man drinking alone at a table.

The stranger sat down in the seat across from him and pulled back his hood to reveal that he too was a Dunmer, his white hair was parted at the middle and reached down to his eye brows, and he had facial tattoos under his eyes and at the sides of his face.

He stroked his goatee for a second and said, "Excuse me kind sir, but your name wouldn’t happen to be Shuren Kalera would it?"

"Why yesh it ish *hiccup*" Shuren said, apparently too drunk to realize he shouldn’t give his name out to perfect strangers in dark robes.

With a motion that seemed instantaneous the stranger pulled out a wakazashi and plunged it just under Shuren’s chin. The blade was just long enough to reach his brain stem, guaranteeing instant death. Then, he pulled out the weapon just a quickly as he had drawn it. Blood poured out generously as Shuren slumped off of his seat onto the floor. The assassin seemed unconcerned as he wiped the blood off his blade with a napkin from the table. Then he stood up and surveyed the room around him, all was silent with the exception of the footsteps of a few who decided they’d seen enough.

The assassin had reckoned that he too had had enough of this place and decided to leave. As he stepped out the door he spotted a group of Ordinators running towards him. They seemed in no mood to listen to reason, so instead the assassin readied himself for their arrival. The first one came with his sword held high, as he began to strike the stranger grabbed his arm, shifted his weight and flung his attacker over his hip. The next Ordinater came at him in the same manner as the last. The assassin dispatched of him with a simple punch to the chest, the guards breast plate shattered on impact and he fell to the ground gasping for air. A third Ordinator came from behind, seemingly unnoticed by the stranger. But, just as the guard was lowering his sword onto the murderer he found a Dwemer crossbow staring him in the face. The Ordinator would have been baffled at how quickly the assailant managed to pull out the weapon if he hadn’t been in fear for his life. An Indoril helm is strong indeed, but it is no match for a Dwemer made crossbow at point blank. The Ordinator dropped his weapon and they both stood there for a few seconds, even though to him it seemed like an eternity.

Then the assassin said, "I am Kenic Elesi of the Morag Tong. I present to you a writ for the honorable execution of Shuren Kalera." He then proceeded to reach into his robe and pull out a rolled up piece of paper. He handed it to the guard.

"Y…Yo…Your papers seem to be in order executioner." The guards voice gave the impression that he was more relieved than embarrassed.

Kenic then withdrew his weapon and went off about his business.

To Be Continued……………….



I also have two other stories much long than this, and another in the works. I hope you like it.

Arcadea
Great. Put them here for me and Geowulf to read. One of us will contact you soon.

Geowulf
cyc0_n1nj4,

Well, you are a pretty good writer. That story shows some skill. What I'm still missing though is a clue, a twist, a sudden change in the plot... something that makes the story special and unpredictable. The story goes towards a climax but ends with: "Kenic then withdrew his weapon and went off about his business". So you might want to change the ending.

Bottom line...technically it is very good, language and grammar show skill. Story-wise something is missing. Perhaps more suspense and a surprising twist for the reader would be great (makes the story less predictable)

Arcadea
Geowulf rembere it said to be continued. That may not of been the end just a part to a larger collection that I would very much like to read.

Eraser
very good, can't wait to hear the rest.

I only noticed 1 small spelling mistake: wondered should be with and a, you should run it through a spell checker for the final version, just to be safe if there are any other mistakes, as should every book that is to be included. Of course tamrielic or dunmeri words need to be skipped.

I have 1 small suggestion: try to make names and dialogue sound a little more dunmer, like where it says "excuse me kind sir" keeping with the way dunmer speak, sir should probably be sera instead.


SquallTm
I found a books "Jokes" in BoT and I think that more books of the like should be added "Amusing Stories", "Funny Stories", "Tales from the Past", "Kzaat's Adventures", "Big Tales for Littles", "Bedside stories" ...

Arcadea
Agrred but first we need people to write them first and we seem to have only three people working Myself, Geowulf, and cyc0_n1nj4 if He'll continue to write. Right now I'm Helping with Black light so I don't have allot of time. If you want to write somethinbg then submit it here we could always use another book.

SquallTm
I can possible look up something in the internet.

Arcadea
if you have the time then go ahead if you want to "the chioce is yours."

Earl
I know I'm being unnescessiraly nitpicky, but...

1) "Brain stem" shows too much of a grasp of anatomy for a medieval fantasy world, in my opinion.
2) "Then he stood up and surveyed the room" - "When" might work better, or "and all was silent".
3) Breast plate shattering - Indoril is some of the best medium armor around, so it shouldn't give out so easily to a blow from a hand. Putting a dent in it would be more believable, and would also make breathing difficult (since his chest wouldn't be able to expand).
4) If the assassin is quick enough to throw Ordinators around, then draw weapons, he'd be quick enough to pull out his writ instead.
5) "Made" is a bland word. "Dwemer forged crossbow" or "crafted" might sound better.

Ander
Hmm, interesting, I just might have to make some stories and post em up.

And I could do some poems or something too, cause not all books in Morrowind are long, they could be just a few lines, like filler books just to have more books.

And i'm not too extensive on the way certain races speak or whatnot, so comments and criticism are welcome.

Here is some fantasy poetry i thought up

"Today I went to Tamriel

Saw a bar and had my fill

Stepped on a rat with my boot

Raided a dungeon to get some loot

Because today I went to Tamriel

Sera Sera, from where do you hail?

On this quest, I shall not fail

Knew not my fate till I fell

Now I leave from Tamriel"

And i have no idea how to turn off the double spacing.


SquallTm
That reminds me of Tom Bombadil and Bilbo Baggins

Geowulf
Very cool. Sounds like a number one hit.

Arcadea, you can download the books of Tamriel from my website (link "WWW" below). If I update it I'll post it in here. Thank you.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Part 2

Post by Arcadea »

Clevercloth
Couple of my thoughts:

- It seems to me that Ordinators have a bit of a superiority complex. And would be more angered if bested in battle, than fearful.

- A Wakazashi, like most Japanese weapons, was a precise cutting tool. So it would be used to slice quickly across the thoat, or on the inside of the arms/legs.

- It would be better to say that he cut deep into the mer's soul, killing him. Than talking about the brainstem. Which is protected by bone btw.


Arcadea
Nice to hear from you again. I will make sure that ids taken into consideration.

I'm done
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

Yes I probably should have metioned this is from the middle forum not the first even though it would be nice to have those files. If you need anything I'm always around and the same with Geowulf who as you see is in charge of Books of Tamriel.
Last edited by Arcadea on Thu Aug 28, 2003 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
Geowulf
Member
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:28 am
Contact:

Post by Geowulf »

:new: Books of Tamriel is updated to version 1.1

This plugin was on my harddisc for months and I finally decided to put him online. Don't expect much difference from the previous version. Only one book is added and one is slightly modified.

Following things are changed:
1. Added a new book: "Corprus, the divine disease, vI" made by Nazz a long time ago.
2. Reformated the book "Legal Basics". Now some names of crimes don't appear on the bottom of a page anymore.

If you have merged the previous plugin with your project (like Silgrad did), you should change the book "Legal basics" with the new version in this plugin. If you haven't merged (like Yinnie did in her Firewatch interiors) then you don't have to do anything. Just replace the "Books of Tamriel.esp" with this new file and all changes are made.

Download:
[url]http://www.freewebs.com/geowulf/Booksv1/Booksoftamriel1.1.zip[/url]

Or just click WWW below to go to my site

Thanks,
Geowulf
Read the Books of Tamriel @ http://geowulf.tamriel-rebuilt.org

Currently doing:
- Bal Oyra interiors fix
- Bosmora, warehouse and indoor market
OOT status:
BoT (v1.4.)
CoT (v1.0.)
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

Sorry I haven't kwpt uup with my work of books of tamriel. I helped out with scrolls, and a libary in Black light wich took alote of time. I'm going to be working on an information forum for Rodan and want to now If you'll help when you have time.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
Geowulf
Member
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:28 am
Contact:

Post by Geowulf »

Are you talking about an information source like 'The Imperial Library' but with new lore and things we've made for TR? With names and histories of towns, relations between them, new factions created, etc...?
Sounds good to me. If I have the time for it I might do something for it. But for now: don't count me in it yet. :D
Read the Books of Tamriel @ http://geowulf.tamriel-rebuilt.org

Currently doing:
- Bal Oyra interiors fix
- Bosmora, warehouse and indoor market
OOT status:
BoT (v1.4.)
CoT (v1.0.)
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

of course but it will also include informatio from the emperial library and other sites with due credit that I will outlibe when the forum is up.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

Spell books will be incorperated into books of tamriel when it is funished.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

Hey, I am an amateur author if you need more books: I can donate some of my stories or write new ones; whichever is needed most. Most of mine are pretty long, at least 5 pages, size 12 font on Microsoft Word.
And should some special books be written in Daedric or other languages? Or even different fonts?
Oh, a quick thought, for my style of writing, we'd need to put italics into the Morrowind font; or else some way to indicate a stressed word or thought out sentence. (i.e. Bob thought, This hamburger tastes good. It was made by a professional chef, after all.)
Last edited by Kevaar on Thu Sep 25, 2003 5:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
RaJevir
Member
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 4:41 am
Location: Usually Tel Ouada, otherwise, try Elsweyr

Post by RaJevir »

Yes, I've always wanted a book written in daedric runes, that you would have to translate. It would be fun:)
"Scrib specimen number two escaped from its pen today. Again. I shall have to find some other way to limit its mobility, as building higher walls seems to have little effect" -Mistress Rathra
Geowulf
Member
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:28 am
Contact:

Post by Geowulf »

Hello, nice to see some potential writers. If you write a book and you want it to be included post it in here or PM me. You can write anything as long as it stays within Tamrielic lore. Since we are currently working in the Telvanni district, stories about Telvanni would be great, but you can write anything you want.

Hope to see some work from you soon :))
Read the Books of Tamriel @ http://geowulf.tamriel-rebuilt.org

Currently doing:
- Bal Oyra interiors fix
- Bosmora, warehouse and indoor market
OOT status:
BoT (v1.4.)
CoT (v1.0.)
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

More books are always good. To much work arggggggg.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
Anonymous

Post by Anonymous »

I dont know if this is already proposed,
but i would like to see (if you can do it)
add a book with all the team members name
in it and a little thing what they did and so on...

It would be great because this mod is amazing already, the modders who worked on it should be appreciated for it to
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

So...you mean use the PCs of the people here? Like I would write a story about a Kevaar? (I do have one btw, and I may submit it here)
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

Okay, here goes. This story is not complete yet (it's actually pretty far from completeion) but I'm pluggin' away at it! It IS a story about the Nerevarine, with Kevaar being it, so I will be needing some ideas for what else he can do. But this is what it's like so far:
NOTE: I will be posting in several posts, because of the post size limit.

"Get up, Dunmer.â€Â￾

"Uh?" Kevaar yawned, disentangling cramped limbs. His back was cold from being pressed against the western wall. He shook his head and brought it up to focus on a guard in the doorway of his cell.

"Where are we going?" Kevaar asked.

The guard shifted impatiently. "That's for me to know and you to find out. Get the lead out of your shoes, prisoner."

"Don't wear shoes." The guard scowled as Kevaar took his time standing. "And don't push me this time."

The guard grimaced, looping Kevaar's chains around his shoulder. "You'll be hurried whether you like it or not. Emperor's orders."

"The Emperor?" Kevaar stopped. "Whatâ€â€￾whyâ€â€￾"

The guard shook his head. "It's not my business. Move!"

Kevaar sighed and obediently trotted down the dark hall. The guard followed closely, grumbling about Emperors and their funny ideas. With a sneaking smile, Kevaar listened with half an ear. There were more muttered words about prophecies, someone called the Nerevarine, and superstitious Dunmer. It was just getting interesting when the outside light and fishy smell of sea broke on him, shattering his concentration.

The guard mumbled a bit more, then barked Kevaar down the prison steps and onto the boardwalk leading to the docks. Kevaar stopped.

The docks? No! All I did was snatch some bread and that earring! Surely that’s not enough to send me to labor camp…

Kevaar licked his lips nervously, staring at the mess of masts and rigging waving with the tide. He slowed as much as the guard would let him, relishing the sunlight on his dark grey skin and the roaring ocean. It might be his last chance to savor them.

The guard yanked him to a stop a few steps from the first pier. Kevaar rubbed his wrists, looking around in rapt curiosity. The docks were empty in the late morning hour.

No, wait, there was someone in that shadowâ€â€￾

“Breakfast,â€Â￾ the guard grunted, shoving slices of bread and a cup of water in Kevaar’s hands. He stared past Kevaar’s shoulder, examining the same shadow.

Kevaar ate slowly, saving the drink for last. The water tasted funny and was thicker than normal. He looked at it and then at the guard, blinking.

A wave of nausea and dizziness swept over him. Kevaar’s knees buckled. The cup clattered away over the wooden planks. The suspicious shadow moved, and a man emerged from it. The guard hailed him.

Another Dunmer? But they said I was the only oneâ€â€￾

The vertigo overtook Kevaar's senses. The sun’s light hurt his eyes. He was spinning, spinning down a tunnel…

“You drugged it,â€Â￾ Kevaar said to the guard. He crumpled and lay still.

*****
Last edited by Kevaar on Fri Sep 26, 2003 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

Kevaar came to in a dim room. All he could see was a globe of dim blue lantern hovering over him, hanging from a ceiling of an greenish adobe building. He struggled to move and was immediately greeted by a flush of whirling sensations and a twisting stomach. Turning on his side, he retched.

A murmur of conversation emanated on all sides. Kevaar lifted his head, trying to piece together the humanoid shadows on the edge of his drugged vision. One moved closer and crouched over him; he could puzzle out a human face.

His head was tipped up with gentle fingers, his mouth opened. Kevaar choked as liquid bit into his mouth and throat. He coughed on the sharp taste. Finding the human’s chest he tried to push him away. No…I don’t want more of that stuff…go away…

Kevaar blinked once and again. Things pulled into focus. His stomach still whirled, but the dizziness was gone.

The human moved away, joining two other silhouettes against a fire. They murmured something to each other, then turned to look at him.

“Well? Are you awake or not?â€Â￾ The accent was strange. Lower in pitch, the words grumbled into each other.

“Uh…â€Â￾ Kevaar blinked a few more times and rubbed his head. He experimented with sitting up. “Where am I?â€Â￾

“Mournhold.â€Â￾

“Mournhold?â€Â￾ Kevaar shook his head, rubbing his eyes. “Mournhold. Isn’t that the city with all the Dunmer in it?"

Nobody answered. Kevaar turned, squinting at the two humans and the Dunmer before the fire. The humans were strange, but the Dunmer was stranger. His hands were folded from view in a faded robe of violet and blue. His brown hair stood on end and his bright red eyes were deep set in a permanent squint.

"Are you sure this is the one?" came the rough voice again, apparently from the Dunmer. He looked back at Kevaar, eyebrow raised. "He's rather...dense."

Kevaar's throat tightened in resentment.

"No, just momentarily disoriented, Master Aszir," one human supplied quickly. "Just ask him."

Master Aszir put a doubtful gaze on Kevaar, one eyebrow still high on his forehead. Kevaar licked his lips, staring back.

"You are Kevaar."

"Yes."

"You were taken from the Imperial City."

"Yes."

"And you are the one?"

"What?"

Master Aszir snorted and shook his head, frowning. He turned back to the humans. "Very good, men. Your due would be waiting for you on the terrace. Almsivi."

The first human nodded and left quickly. The other sighed, glanced at Kevaar, and jerked his vest tighter at the collar on the way out.

Without a look at Kevaar, Aszir swept over to a chair like a boat thrust in a river, swirling his robes around him before sitting. He set his elbow on the padded arm of the chair, fingering his chin and staring at the wall behind Kevaar.

A feline nose poked through the door and a lithe cat-man entered, twisting a tufted tail. He--or so Kevaar guessed it was a he--paused to stare at Kevaar with his head cocked before offering a goblet to Aszir. Aszir took it but didn't drink.

"Ha'shan here is a Khajiit, Kevaar."

"I know." I'm not that stupid, Kevaar added in thought. With a frown, he took the other goblet Ha'shan offered. He studied the gold and bronze inlay around the rim before tasting the brown liquid.

"This is sujamma," Aszir said. His eyebrows went up. "I thought I said flin." OOC: I am taking s creative liberty here. I'm not really sure what sujamma looks like. End OOC.

Ha'shan's tail twitched. He avoided Master Aszir's eyes.

"Oh, nevermind. Sit, Kevaar."

Master Aszir nodded at another chair. Kevaar pulled the frail wooden frame closer and sat. The chair squeaked ominously.

"Will have to remember to get that fixed," Aszir murmured.

Silence fell. Ha’shan’s tail waved back and forth. Kevaar studied Aszir through narrowed eyes. Aszir sipped the sujamma delicately, as if oblivious to Kevaar’s presence.

Kevaar shifted. "Why am I here?â€Â￾

Aszir looked over the rim of his goblet. "You are here because the Emperor ordered it. And what the Emperor wants, the Emperor gets.â€Â￾ His eyebrows came up again.

"Why does the Emperor want me here?"

"If I told you, I would be thwarting the Emperor's wishes."

Kevaar flexed his fingers. “And who are you?â€Â￾

Aszir set the goblet aside, pulling up his chin. “I am Aszir Kairloch of the Census office and late retainer of House Redoran. I am here to evaluate you for various reasons of the Emperor. Now its time we got down to business. Ha’shan, fetch me that questionnaire he sent with the package. I assume you can read, Kevaar?â€Â￾

Late retainer? Sudden mistrust curled in his stomach. “No.â€Â￾

“Not a problem. Ah, thank you, Ha’shan. Nowâ€â€￾“ Aszir shook out the parchment Ha’shan offered and took a quill from the Khajiit’s hand. He chewed on the end, eye scanning the parchment.

Kevaar tapped his fingers impatiently.

“Let’s see, let’s see…What’s your full name?â€Â￾

“Kevaar.â€Â￾

“Surname?â€Â￾

Kevaar shifted. “I have none.â€Â￾

Aszir blinked, slowly bringing his eyes up. “None?â€Â￾

Kevaar clenched his teeth. “None.â€Â￾

Aszir lifted an eyebrow. “Hmm, orphan I assume. Name is…Kevaar…yes…past residences?â€Â￾

“Daggerfall.â€Â￾

“Anything else?â€Â￾

“No.â€Â￾

The scratching of the quill punctuated Aszir’s murmuring. “Birthsign?â€Â￾

“The Steed.â€Â￾

“The swift stallion of the Warrior, hmm? It would account for your impatience…occupation?â€Â￾

Kevaar stared at his fingers. “Running errands.â€Â￾

Aszir looked up. “Anything else?â€Â￾

Kevaar stilled. “What you would consider dirty work,â€Â￾ he picked cautiously.

“Be more specific. There are many things out there that fit under the term of ‘dirty work’.â€Â￾

Kevaar watched his hands shape tight fists. “Burglary. Jobs for…others like me.â€Â￾

Aszir nodded. Narrow eyes watched Kevaar a long time before the quill resumed movement.

“Interesting…yes…now, what would you consider your mainâ€â€￾“

Aszir was interrupted by an insistent tapping on the door. Ha’shan slipped over to open it and whispered to someone outside. There was a pause.

“Drai asks if Aszir are finished.â€Â￾

Aszir pursed his lips, and looked over his parchment. “I can finish this later…yes, yes…Let him in, Ha’shan.â€Â￾ He rolled up the parchment and tied it, slipping it in his robe’s sleeve.

Ha’shan whispered something back through the door, and opened it wide to allow another robed figure to pass through.

This degonti’s brown robes were in better condition than Aszir’s and sewn from animal skins, as Kevaar realized with a closer look. The degonti’s face was serious, wise and less pinched than Aszir’s. His dark gray hair was combed off his high forehead and cut at shoulder lengthâ€â€￾like Kevaar’sâ€â€￾with a single tassel draping his chest.

He bowed his head to Kevaar, then Aszir. “I thank you again for helping me in this matter, Aszir.â€Â￾ His voice was not as deep his chest suggested. But he, too, had the same rough, grumbling accent as Aszir.

Aszir shifted. “Think nothing of it, Master Drai.â€Â￾

“So you are Kevaar?â€Â￾

Kevaar looked up from tapping his fingers. “Yes, it’s Kevaar,â€Â￾ he snapped. This endless questioning was tiring him. “And are you going to explain why I’ve been dragged here by the Imperial guards?â€Â￾

Drai smiled and sat in the chair Ha’shan pushed forward. “Unfortunately, it’s a matter of trust, Kevaar. You do not trust us and would probably not believe the monstrosity of this matter. On the other side, we cannot trust you yet, for we don’t know you. Fair enough?â€Â￾

Kevaar studied Drai for a long moment. “Fair enough.â€Â￾

Aszir sighed quietly and put his chin in his hand.

Drai nodded. He pushed a hand through his hair “I’m glad we understand each other.â€Â￾ He paused a moment, breathing fastâ€â€￾from nervousness, Kevaar guessed.

Kevaar relaxed suddenly. At least Drai wasn’t a stuck-up like Aszir was turning out to be.

“Now,â€Â￾ Drai said, flattening his hair again, “We are taking you to Vvardenfell, a province of Morrowind. Are you familiar with the continent?â€Â￾

Kevaar bit his lip. “It’s a place where the Dunmer live, isn’t it?â€Â￾

Aszir snorted.

“Yes, ever since Saint Veloth led us there.â€Â￾ Drai glared at Aszir out of the corner of his eye.

“S-saint Veloth?â€Â￾

“Saint Veloth. He led the Dunmer to Vvardenfell when their homeland was being threatened by barbaric Nords. The place is quite established now, or was before the Empire came. Dunmer don’t take to human rule.â€Â￾

Aszir snorted again. Drai frowned.

“So…â€Â￾ Kevaar started carefully. “What will happen to me once we reach Vvardenfell?â€Â￾

“You will be trained and, er, ‘evaluated’ to make sure you are…fit for our plan. Have you found out about his skills, Aszir?â€Â￾

“We were just getting to that when Ha-Shan let you in.â€Â￾

“Right. Finish. Be sure to ask about his skills.â€Â￾

“Skills?â€Â￾ asked Kevaar, looking at both of them in turn. “What sort of skills?â€Â￾

“What are you best at, Kevaar? Have you ever been apprenticed to someone? Do you have any talents that you can tell us?â€Â￾ said Aszir, sliding the scroll from his sleeve.

“Well…â€Â￾ Kevaar began slowly. “I am good at getting into and out of troubleâ€â€￾“ Drai smiled. “â€â€￾and I know the thief trade. I’ve had some training in using chitin and fur armors, and some dagger and marksmanship.â€Â￾

Aszir was scribbling madly. Drai stared through Kevaar, still nodding although Kevaar was finished speaking.

“Anything else?â€Â￾ asked Aszir, giving his notes a final touch.

“I’ve learned some magic from the Mage’s Guild.â€Â￾

“What spheres of magic?â€Â￾

“Conjuring and alteration.â€Â￾ And mysticism, though I doubt they’d approve of that.

“Interesting,â€Â￾ Aszir muttered. He scratched in a few more notes, then slipped the scroll into his sleeve. Ha'shan took the quill.

“Well, that’s done,â€Â￾ said Drai, sounding brighter. “Nowâ€â€￾“ He looked behind him at a window. “â€â€￾I believe it’s time for the carriage to arrive. Accompany us, will you Kevaar?â€Â￾

*****
Last edited by Kevaar on Fri Sep 26, 2003 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

“Home,â€Â￾ Drai breathed.

Kevaar scanned the brown-green land doubtfully. Even from here he could see fungus growing on the trees and reeds poking up from algae infested ponds. It seemed rather dull.

Aszir humphed and leaned on the rail, nose twitching. His eyebrows contracted inward. He glared at the rippling water.

The village they were pulling into was no more heartening than the landscape. Most of the houses were built of damp gray wood and some sagged inward as if about to collapse. There were only two well-tended buildings. One seemed very business-like with guards patrolling around it. The other was like a tavern, or so Kevaar assumed from the noise coming from it.

The dock creaked alarmingly when Aszir stepped onto it. He stopped hesitantly until Drai prodded him in the back. Kevaar followed closely, feeling meek as the sailors’ gazes drifted past without a hint of noticing him.

He paced next to Drai, who stared fixedly at the splintering planks. “So this is your home, Drai?â€Â￾

Drai jerked his head up and scanned the land. “Not Seyda Neen, here, no. I live in the Grazelands way northwest of here. Still, it’s good to back at Vvardenfell.â€Â￾

“Oh.â€Â￾

They were silent as they approached the building with the guards. Two of them took a good look at Aszir before allowing him and Kevaar pass. They wouldn’t allow Drai in.

Inside, the building was like any other human building in Harrow, straight walls, ordinary three-planed corners, and simple furniture. Aszir strode down a hall, pointing at the doors, murmuring something, trying to remember which was which. He finally picked one near the entrance and knocked on it. The sound was dull and absorbed into the wood.

The door opened. Aszir gestured Kevaar in first.

There was a desk in here, covered with a few papers and a quill and inkwell. A human sat by it, forehead in his hands and another quill in his mouth. He waved at Aszir halfheartedly, not looking up.

Behind him were some odd cabinets that Kevaar couldn’t find a use for, until Aszir opened one and started filing around in the hanging folders full of papers inside. He picked out one page and tossed it into the flaming grate, picked a few more and slid them together with the questionaire scroll. He slipped them into the human’s view.

“These are for the Emperor, concerning Prisoner 2067.â€Â￾

“2067?â€Â￾ The human looked up, and squinted at Kevaar. “Isn’t he supposed to be under guard?â€Â￾

Aszir pulled another scroll from his sleeve. The human unrolled it and squinted at it. “…to be under watched by the proven personal, etc., etc., Aszir Kairloch and Drai Gyrakya. Hmm. Where’s Gyrakya?â€Â￾

“Outside.â€Â￾

“Hmm.â€Â￾ The human studied the scroll’s seal, then nodded. He picked up the papers and straightened them with a tap on the desk. “I will have these delivered. Farewell, Kairloch.â€Â￾

“Almsivi.â€Â￾ Aszir dipped his head, returned to the hallway. Kevaar gave the human a last glance, and followed.

“What was that for?â€Â￾ He asked they rejoined Drai.

“Census business,â€Â￾ Aszir muttered. He looked around, frowned at the woe-be-gone town, and turned to Drai. “What were you planning to do now, Drai?â€Â￾

“Training.â€Â￾

“Training him? With who?â€Â￾

“You, of course.â€Â￾

Aszir’s expression fell. He glanced at Kevaar, then jerked his head at the tavern.

Kevaar cocked his head. Aszir jerked his head again and waved his hand dismissively.

Kevaar sighed and walked towards the tavern, looking over his shoulder. Drai and Aszir bent their heads together. Aszir was not looking too happy and Drai had a fixed patient calm about him. Kevaar turned back to the tavern, examining the human architecture.

“So you’re the one the boat dropped off, aye?â€Â￾

“Yeah.â€Â￾ He looked at his greeter. “Who are you?â€Â￾

The little pale-skinned elf smiled. “I’m Fargoth, sera. Just a commoner of this damp little squat. Who are you?â€Â￾

“Kevaar.â€Â￾

“Oh. Hi.â€Â￾

“Hello.â€Â￾

“You’re not a native-born Dunmer, are you? Meaning no offense, but your accent is strange.â€Â￾ The elf’s dark-brown eyes narrowed.

“I’m from the Imperial City.â€Â￾

“Ah. Well, may I be the first to welcome you to Morrowind! Or Vvardenfell Province at any rate. Say, have you seen my ring?â€Â￾

“Uh…no.â€Â￾

His face fell. “Oh. Well, would you keep a look-out for it? It’s a family heirloom. The guards, you see, aren’t a very nice lot and it was time for their “shake down Fargothâ€Â￾ ritual…â€Â￾

Kevaar smiled. “Some guards, huh?â€Â￾

Fargoth grimaced. “They do more ordering the peasantry around then actual guarding. That smuggler cave on the other side of the hill? They know known well enough that it’s there and there’s criminals down there, but do they care? Someone must have bribed them…â€Â￾

“Smugglers? What’s to smuggle around here?â€Â￾

“Oh, plenty of things. Skooma for instance, and that moon sugar the Khajiit go crazy for. Smoking skooma’s illegal you see, as it its main ingredient, moon sugar. Horribly addicting. Makes you a little strange in the head too if you’re not careful. You also can’t ship raw ebony or Dwemer artifacts. The Empire wants to study the long disappeared Dwemer you see, and the ebonyâ€â€￾“

“Kevaar!â€Â￾

Fargoth stuttered to a stop, glancing curiously at Drai, who was waving. “Who’s he?â€Â￾

“Drai, a companion of mine. I’d better go. Hope you find that ring of yours.â€Â￾

Fargoth smiled. “Hope to see you around, Kevaar. You don’t seem half-bad, for a Dunmer.â€Â￾

Kevaar smiled back and turned, wondering what the elf meant by that. Drai and Aszir were waiting, the latter looking grumpier and the first a little weary.

“Hurry up. We have to catch the silt strider on time,â€Â￾ Drai said once in easy talking distance.

“Silt strider?â€Â￾

“Giant bugs that carry travelers around. Kind of like caravans.â€Â￾

“More traveling?â€Â￾

Drai’s brow furrowed. “Yes, more traveling. We need to get to Ald’ruhn.â€Â￾

“You said nothing about going to Ald’ruhn,â€Â￾ Aszir snapped.

“Did I?â€Â￾ Drai looked up, trying to remember. “Hmm, guess I didn’t. No matter. We’re going there.â€Â￾

Aszir muttered something fiercely. Drai gave him a warning look.

“So…what’s the silt strider supposed to do?â€Â￾ Kevaar prodded. “Appear out of mid-air? With a bang and a flash of smoke?â€Â￾

Aszir rolled his eyes.

Drai rubbed his neck. “Oh, that. Yes. I mean, n-no. They don’t just appear, there’s a station over this way. Come on.â€Â￾

“Coming I am,â€Â￾ Kevaar said to no one in particular.

*****

OOC: That's all I've done for now. How is it so far?

Oh, suddenly I have an idea for what could happen. Aszir and drai had found this tomb (or some other undergroud dungeon) that only Kevaar could enter. Maybe a little cliche, but it works with what I'm planning so far.
Last edited by Kevaar on Fri Sep 26, 2003 5:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

Ah, hehe. :D
Last edited by Kevaar on Fri Sep 26, 2003 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

Dagoth: Already being worked on.

Kevaar: Good story you should talk to Geowulf about it though since he's in charge of the books.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
SquallTM
Member
Posts: 630
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:14 am
Location: In the Deeps of Latvia...
Contact:

Post by SquallTM »

Didn't I make a post here with sites containing such small stories, fairy tales. Was it deleted or are there more Books of Tamriel threads?
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

This isn't good it was here. How can we lose a post. Any one no were it went?
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
SquallTM
Member
Posts: 630
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:14 am
Location: In the Deeps of Latvia...
Contact:

Post by SquallTM »

So you actually do remember that it was here? If so, then someone deleted it, I wonder why... I won't look up all those sites up again.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

not good. I belive only an admin can.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

Was the post old? Really long? Pointless? Spam? Those are the only reasons I can think of for an admin deleteing a post.
Last edited by Kevaar on Fri Sep 26, 2003 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

No to all your questions. It was relevent.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

Hmm, strange. Might be a malfunction of the board, but I somehow I doubt it...message board malfunctions are usually whole threads or boards disappearing, not just a single post.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

Actualy two I resoponeded to Squalls Post and that post is gone two very interesting.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by Kevaar »

Puzzling ?( Make sure an admin knows about this...they might think of something.
SquallTM
Member
Posts: 630
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:14 am
Location: In the Deeps of Latvia...
Contact:

Post by SquallTM »

Okay, I researched those pages:
[url]http://zenvirus.com/hughcook/fantasy/fantasy-stories/[/url]
[url]http://www.fidnet.com/~wolfman/stories.html[/url]
[url]http://www.webwish.com/magic/stories/short.html[/url]
[url]http://www.quantummuse.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.mystikeep.com/stories/fan.htm[/url]
[url]http://hughcook.bravepages.com/zenvirus/stories/stories.html[/url]
[url]http://www.bearjests.com/shorttales/default.htm[/url]
[url]http://palurin.com/royal/blogs/all/blog_a.php?cat=3[/url]

And don't delete it!
Last edited by SquallTM on Sat Sep 27, 2003 8:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

Thanks I'm printing just in case,
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
Geowulf
Member
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:28 am
Contact:

Post by Geowulf »

Just posting to say I haven't found the time to read your story yet Kevaar but I'll try to read it this evening and tell you my opinion about it. So don't worry, I will reply soon.
Read the Books of Tamriel @ http://geowulf.tamriel-rebuilt.org

Currently doing:
- Bal Oyra interiors fix
- Bosmora, warehouse and indoor market
OOT status:
BoT (v1.4.)
CoT (v1.0.)
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Scrib Journal

Post by Kevaar »

Please tell me if this sounds right and adheres to the lore you know about scribs and kwama. Written by Mistress Rathra of Tel Ouada (telvanni). Rista is supposed to be a Redguard's name, but I'm not sure it sounds right. And yes, I know the ending of each paragraph does not have a period: the computer did it to me when I was deleting the < BR > 's and it would highlight the period too. And I'm too lazy to go back and add them in :)

Examination Records on Scrib Specimens 1 and 2 of the Behavior of a Scrib

Day 1
My scrib specimens have finally arrived after THREE WEEKS of waiting. I knew I shouldn't have trusted that Bosmer; what deceitful little beggars they are. The scribs are tiny, barely a foot long. At least that flea-bitten tree-hugger got something right; I had asked for scribs right out of the egg. I find myself wondering what he had done to the egg miners to get them

I have built a pen for them, coaxing the mushroom tower to produce an enclosure up to waist-height. My assistant Rista was kind enough to bring a crate up from my storage rooms for them to sleep in, as well as finding a pair of wolf pelts. They should be soft enough for the scribs and make a good den when placed inside the overturned crate

Day 2
The scribs chatter in hunger, trying to reach any life form that enters my study to beg for food. They particularly like Shazharra's tail--I am guessing it resembles a Kwama forager, which brings food to the colony and sometimes goes miles to find such. Specimen 2 tried climbing over the enclosure to get to the tail. What a feisty little rascal it is turning out to be

Day 3
When I came in in the morning, I noticed the scribs were packed in a corner of their crate, moaning to each other. I tapped the box, hard, but neither moved save Specimen 2 raising its head. I believe they are suffering from hunger. I have tried many things, from ground-up saltrice to rat meat to Kwama eggs. They seemed to like the Kwama egg, but not to eat unfortunately. They were circling it and laying their heads against it, as if listening for the embryo inside. Specimen 1 was very careful not to touch it, though Specimen 2 was climbing all over it--literally. Is it possible that the scribs recognize their own kind even though they have never seen a Kwama? Perhaps it is instinctual

Day 4
I have finally found something that the scribs appear to like. Scrib cabbage. I am amazed that I never thought of it before, considering its name. I am ordering a large shipment of it tomorrow, which should arrive in a week. Hopefully I have enough reserves of the cabbage to last until then

The scrib seem to like it so much that they quarrel over it like cliff racers. Specimen 1 always seems to get the losing hand of the battle while Specimen 2 gets the lion's share of food. Their fights are very noisy

Day 6
Specimen 2 grows more rowdy. It squeals at anyone who comes by--particularly someone with food in hand--and knocks on the ground every other minute. I still have yet to figure out what this knocking means. Perhaps it is a signal? A calling to other Kwama?

Specimen 1, however, prefers to stay huddled in the box, nosing at the wolf pelts or sleeping. I have checked and double-checked it for disease, but I see no symptoms. Specimen 2 is happy enough to curl up beside it and nudge at, which seems an indicator that all is well health-wise. Perhaps it is just lazy

Day 9
Specimen 2 has taken a liking to squealing and moaning and chattering all day long. I will never get any work done with its racket. I had Rista take it for stroll around the tower, which seemed to calm it, but back inside the enclosure the flood of scrib noises began again. I am sending an invitation to a well-known egg miner to help to determine a way to calm it

Day 11
Specimen 2 is still in its shrieking fits. I cannot get it to shut up.

Specimen 1 still hides in the box.

Day 12
I noticed something new today. While feeding, the scribs did not fight. Specimen 2 ate as much as it could hold, leaving a leaf or two for Specimen 1 to feed on. Apparently they have determined a hierarchy between the two of them. Specimen 2 is always the leader, Specimen 1 as subdued as a well-trained slave in following its companion. I hope this is a good thing.

Day 13
My interview with an egg miner today revealed several things. Specimen 2, so he says, is squealing out of boredom. He says it wants more company and a larger place to roam. Specimen 1 seems to be suffering from the same thing, as well as not getting enough food. I shall have to be more careful about breaking up their arguments at the dinner table, which the egg miner reassured me as quite natural. When I asked if I should do anything about it, he laughed and said, "Scrib be scrib." I still have no idea what he means. These Nords need to learn how to talk properly

Day 14
Specimen 2 was quieter today. Rista took it on a long walk around the town, tiring it out in the process. Specimen 1 had the main share of food today, taking advantage of its companion's exhaustion.

Day 17
With Shazharra watching the scribs at meal times, Specimen 1 continues to grow stronger and more active. Now it even pushes Specimen 2 around. The tables have turned it seems.

Both scribs seem better behaved as Rista slowly increases the distance in which they travel in their daily walks. Rista is eager to take them to an egg mine, curious about their reactions with the other Kwama. I am hesitant about this. Kwama are partially territorial, and don't take well to stranger Kwama. Much like an Ashlander and a Khajiit.

Day 21
Rista persuaded me to bring the scribs to an egg mine. The other scribs seemed to have no problem with them, circling their smaller fellows and nudging them, once or twice knocking on the ground. My specimens almost always knocked on the ground in reply. So it is obviously some sort of communication. I shall have to go deeper into this...

All the peace was ruptured when a Kwama warrior strayed into the cavern we were in. It rushed straight at the foreign scribs--that is, rushed with a Kwama warrior's speed. Rista was able to grab our scribs out of the way, while I toasted the offending Kwama with a flame bolt. The egg miners weren't too happy about this, and we had to leave soon afterward.
Last edited by Kevaar on Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Arcadea
Developer Emeritus
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:02 pm
Location: Milford, NH, USA

Post by Arcadea »

I like it.
I said I would return and I may have been right. The past must stay in the past as agreed. If the core needs me or has a job for me just ask for now I watch and write.

Former Moderator of the Core.
Was once called the Sotha Sil of the core.
User avatar
Kevaar
Member
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:20 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Yet another story...

Post by Kevaar »

I wrote this story quickly, so it may or may not be good. Its about a Buoyant Armiger who is captured and converted to the Sixth House cult. I still need a name for the main character (which will only appear at the end). Please critque and tell me how you like it. No title. Yet.

The wind-borne dust bit into his face like needles. He held a cloth up to his mouth to breathe properly, gasping as his legs kept pumping below him. The combat had been too close for his tastes. So was the chase that followed.

He topped a rise, and looked back. The Sleeper was still behind him, running as if a Daedra was beside him. Behind that, there was a large bulbous figure drifting quickly over the ground.

He felt his flushed face become a little less red. An Ascended Sleeper was on his tail.

With a gasp and groan, he struck out again, trying to find his way among the twisting ravines of Red Mountain. More hosts of Dagoth Ur joined the hunting party following him. They hung back, slowing as the gap between the pursuers and pursued was lengthened.

He thanked his birthsign’s lucky stars, and half-ran, half-tumbled down the next incline. He rolled the last few feet and came to a stop, panting, struggling to get to his feet.

He felt very dizzy. The miles of running were beginning to tell on him. He only had a few more bursts of speed left.

But it was all he needed. Ghostgate was before him, the two towers spreading from side to side as if they were arms welcoming him home. He hobbled towards them, hanging on the stone with the button to open the gate. He pressed, and the first portcullis clanked open.

He took two steps, and fell. He got up, took another step, and fell. And lay there. His legs refused to hold him. His body could only gasp in exhaustion.
He looked behind him. A flash and an instant of pain was his only warning as the Sleeper’s spell hit him.

*****

The first thing he sensed was the smell. It was the smell of blood and of raw flesh. It was sickly, reeking of disease. There was an underlying scent of sulfur and smoke, a sure sign he was still near Red Mountain.

His body was covered with old sweat. He opened his eyes, staring at a Dwemer ceiling. He rolled over, shaking his head, trying to remember what happened. He was running, and then came the spellâ€â€￾

After that there had only been blackness.

He raised his head, studying his surroundings. The tiny enclosure was barely long enough for him to stretch out in. In one corner was a long post with the Sixth House’s symbol at the top. The room glowed with warmth.

So he was trapped. And imprisoned probably. He groaned and set his forehead on the floor. The pendant of the Tribunal slid out his shirt. He held it for reassurance.

The door squawked as it opened. He came up on his knees, still shivering, wondering what horror was descending on him now.

It was an Ash Zombie. Its skin was flaky and brittle, with odd growths bulging out of strange places. The eye region of its face had caved inâ€â€￾or fallen outâ€â€￾leaving only a dark hole.

“Eat,â€Â￾ came the rusty croaking voice. The Ash Zombie put a shallow bowl in front of him. Leaving him to stare at it, the Ash Zombie closed the door. Something jangled and clanked as it locked.

He kept staring at the food in the bowl, sickened. It was meat, but meat that was yellow and lumpy. Dried-out skin was still stuck to one side of it, and there was brown blood on the other. The smell was as bad as imagining the taste.

Coprus meat. The cult cut pieces off of themselves to eat and glorify their god. And now they were feeding it to him.

He slumped back against the wall. No, he would not, could not, eat it. They were mad if they thought he was going to eat this stuff. Mad.

He let his head rest on the metal wall, closing his eyes. He stroked the Tribunal pendant for comfort. The Temple would prevail. He would get out of here.

Long and countless hours passed. His stomach grumbled, then gnawed, then bit at him with its emptiness. His mouth and tongue steadily got drier. And he felt nauseous.

He looked at the corpus meat, wondering how it tasted.

Stop it, he told himself. He forced his head in the other direction.

His pain in his stomach got worse. He slid off the wall and lay down, staring at the ceiling, wondering if the Ash Zombie would come back. Wondering too, if it was foolish to starve when there was a bowl of edibles right next to him.

As sleep stole upon him, the question grew and warped. Shapes twisted and morphed in his dreams. There was a glimmering of gold, reflecting off the outlines of a mask. The twisting forms sharpened into humanoid forms, which were busy dancing and praying fervently and with more energy than their shriveled bodies could produce on its own.
He wanted to join them.

When he awoke, nothing had changed. The sign of Dagoth Ur still stood over him, and the coprus meat was still in its bowl next to him.

He realized his hand was in it. With a squirm of disgust, he pulled away.

The hours passed slower and slower. His stomach twisted inside him, demanding something to fill its emptiness. He slowly licked his lips, again wondering how corpus meat tasted.

Hunger dulled his senses. His conciousness narrowed to the ravenous need of food. Somewhere deep inside, part of him kept forcing his hands away from the corpus meat, chiding him. Its voice grew softer, and was soon engulfed in the hunger.

He could bear it no longer. He grabbed a hunk of corpus meat and forced it in his mouth. It tasted very raw and very pungent, but it mattered little. It was food.

Still chewing, he grabbed another chunk and began working on it too. He swallowed, and seized more of it.

The door to his prison opened. The Ash Zombie was back, smiling. “Dagoth Ur’s will is done.â€Â￾

He glared at the Ash Zombie screamed at it to go away, to leave him peace. He lunged at it, but fell short as his limbs shook from starvation. Chuckling, the Ash Zombie closed the door.

After the meat was gone, he licked the bowl.

With a start and then with a twist of revulsion, he threw it at the cell door. The bowl shattered into brown pieces, some digging into his skin. He pulled them out angrily, and sent them ricocheting off the walls with a hard throw. He huddled back in the corner of the cell, suddenly feeling very sick. The edges of the Tribunal symbol dug into his hand painfully as he clutched it.

He had eaten corpus meat. Coprus meat…

*****

His dreams were clearer this time. The mask smiled down upon a horde of Sleepers, Dreamers and other Ash servants. All were dancing, holding their arms up to the mask. Higher and higher went the arms, but the mask was too far away. The mask began to grow, until it was all he could see. He heard laughing.

When he woke, he realized it had been himself.

*****

He hugged his knees, eyes shut, shaking. He was going crazy. The dreams… the ingest corpus meat… He was becoming...like them. And he didn’t know how to stop it.

The Tribunal pendant sat in his palm, small, weak. When would someone save him? And how would they be able to find him?

*****

More corpus meat.

He sighed, picking at it. With a grimace, he held his nose and gnawed on one hunk. Eyes shut, he chided himself.

Weakling…

Should have starved…

Should never have eaten the corpus meat…

Should have never bowed to Dagoth Ur’s will…

Weak…

But what did it matter?

*****

He noticed the lump when he woke up. It was small and hard, growing out of his arm.

His stomach fell. Coprus. He was infected.

There was no cure. None he had heard of.

Coprus.

His stomach gave an unwanted heave of excitement.

*****

More lumps began appearing, down his arms, up his legs, across his back. And he couldn’t think straight anymore, couldn’t focus. His thoughts would turn down odd paths against his will. He started thinking crazy things. Things like…forsaking the Tribunal. Forgetting about his role of Buoyant Armiger.

And a question kept nibbling at the edges of his mind.

What would it be like to join Dagoth Ur?

*****

The Ash Zombie came with an invitation instead of food.

He was nibbling on the last bit of corpus meat when the door opened. He stood up, swallowing the last bite.

The Ash Zombie was smiling. “Come.â€Â￾

He came. The Zombie led him up through the Dwemer ruin. Red light steadily overtook the dull yellow of the Dwemer lights. The metal walls became stone. The passage became a tunnel in the rock. Red candles littered the area, and here and there were Dagoth Ur symbols traced with chalk. And blood.

The passage suddenly opened up into a gigantic room. Beneath the ledge he was standing on, there was a throng of Dagoth’s servants, all twisting in a dance he thought he remembered.

The Ash Zombie led him down. He was inside the crowd now. And he was calm. These creaturesâ€â€￾no, peopleâ€â€￾were no longer enemies. They might even…be friends?

A shout. The dance stopped. An Ascended Sleeper stood on top another ledge, further up the wall then the one he had been on. It raised a hand. Everyone in the room watched it, completely absorbed, panting from the vigorous dance. He watched the Sleeper too.

Something came over him.

He was free. Free from worrying about sin and soul sickness. It was a thing of the past. He was amazed he had worried about it so.

The next thing he knew he was spinning and turning in a complicated dance with the others. There was no music; the beat and melody was inside his head. He shouted with the others and raised hands to Dagoth Ur with a cheer.

His hands were the highest, his cheer, the loudest.

*****

He was standing before the symbol in his cell, studying and memorizing its every curve. It sent a swelling of pride in his chest. A beautifulâ€â€￾and worthyâ€â€￾symbol.

He pulled off his shirt and pants. It was too hot for them down here. The white loincloth he pulled on was much cooler. The corpus growths were more noticeable in this outfit, and he wore them with pride.

He studied the symbol some more, and turned to the cell door. As if cued, it opened. Instead of the Ash Zombie was an Ascended Sleeper, tentacles curling absentmindedly.

“I’ll show you to your quarters, Dagoth _____.â€Â￾

He nodded. The Tribunal pendant slid from his hand to the floor, forgotten. Shadow slipped across it as the door closed on an empty cell.
Locked