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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
| Jacelyn Michel: Tales of a Freelance Larcenist | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 26 2016, 12:47 PM (4,070 Views) | |
| Rick | Jul 26 2016, 06:07 AM Post #141 |
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Jarl
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Made me cry......I hope she remembers a way to id that bastard....he needs to get some pay back. Adella can read through me....she was boiling in there. She was all for laying waste to the entire Whiterun guard force at that point until I Pointed out that you are otherworldly like me and Jace's Skyrim is not Adella's. Adella is likely to look for the guard with the right tendency in our Skyrim and do him anyway in Jace's memory.....she's very vengeful our Contessa.... |
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| Kane | Jul 26 2016, 11:20 AM Post #142 |
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Overlord
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Oof, what a terrible thing for Jace to go through. :( |
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| Grits | Jul 27 2016, 08:58 PM Post #143 |
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Thane
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Jace: page 15 “Look, a cave. I wonder what’s inside?” “Bandits,” said Jacelyn. “That’s Embershard Mine. Remember, Orgnar was talking about them?” Vorstag dismounted and began his gear check. “Wait,” Jacelyn said, “Don’t go in yet. Let me see if I can pick their pockets like Silda told me.” It took little time to clear the mine of outlaws and their valuables. Jacelyn managed to pick exactly zero pockets. At her first attempt, Vorstag’s noise alerted the bandits, and he came howling from the mine’s entrance to Jace’s rescue. By her third attempt Vigilance had joined them and Jace realized that a war dog and a Vorstag were not going to sneak up on anything. Vorstag seemed even more bloodthirsty than usual. Jace found herself supporting him with her bow from the shadows as he massacred the entire bandit clan. After the last bandit fell, Jace climbed down to the waterfall to wash up and compose herself. What she had thought of as a stealthy practice run for Vorstag’s upcoming circlet recovery job had turned into a bloodbath. The confidence she felt leaving Windhelm was completely shattered. In her stress she had even forgotten that she carried the Sanguine Rose. Scrubbing pans and cleaning chickens doesn’t sound so bad, Jacelyn thought. I wonder how far it is to Shornhelm. Vigilance splashed past her and chest-deep into the pool to take a drink. Jace looked up to see Vorstag standing at the edge, wiping down his blade and silently watching her. “We’ll camp tonight,” Vorstag said, his tone emotionless and flat. “I’ll take the first watch.” |
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| Serethil | Jul 27 2016, 09:03 PM Post #144 |
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Et'Ada
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Hmmm. Vors is.... not happy about something.... |
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| Rick | Jul 27 2016, 09:28 PM Post #145 |
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Jarl
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Ooooh yes! Sounds like hes about to have some serious words with her.... |
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| Andra Hawksdaughter | Jul 27 2016, 10:05 PM Post #146 |
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Jarl
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Yikes! Um, yeah, time for talking and clearing the air....but I think it may be painful. :( |
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| Areial | Jul 28 2016, 12:00 AM Post #147 |
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Et'Ada
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Oooo I think someone is a bit upset.. or maybe more than a little. |
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| Kane | Jul 28 2016, 08:34 AM Post #148 |
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Overlord
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:book: |
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| Grits | Jul 28 2016, 09:56 AM Post #149 |
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Thane
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Thanks very much, folks! Jace and Vors (Sere, I love that nickname!) will resolve their little drama, but not yet. Vorstag is not much of a talker, and Jace is in her first real relationship. It took them some time to start getting it right. We have a few more updates that are newly written versions of my player’s reports, but we’re getting close to the end of what’s already been posted over at BethSoft. Jace: page 16 “Welcome to Dead Man’s Drink.” Jacelyn’s pack hit the floor with a soggy splat. “Thank you. I’d like a room, please. It’s just me and the dog.” This morning at their camp had passed as quietly as the night before. Jace felt the silence building into a mountain between them. When it was time to depart for the cave, Jacelyn realized that she was in possession of their map. Jace was not much for maps, or directions, or reading much of anything, but she was reluctant to speak up. The cave was clearly marked on the right side of the road just past Falkreath. If they went too far they would be stopped at the border. Jace had mounted up and with map in hand, she took the lead. A light mist turned into a drizzle, and then a steady rain. When Jace realized she couldn’t hear Vorstag’s horse behind her any more, she couldn’t be sure when she had stopped hearing it. The cave turned out to be a cairn. Halldir’s Cairn, she supposed, now that she noticed faded lettering on their map. The area outside was an alchemical treasure trove. Jace filled her waxed canvas bag with free ingredients while she waited for her partner. When she had finished picking mushrooms at the tomb’s entrance and looked around for Vorstag, he had still been nowhere in sight. He hadn’t been inside, either. And the only way through was a locked door. But there was a key nearby. Had he made his way into the tomb without her and someone had locked him in? Jacelyn had unlocked the door and left the key behind. It was likely he was still outside somewhere, possibly still on the road. This way he could catch up and find her. Inside she found no bandits with pockets ripe for the picking. Only the type of creatures that dwell in tombs. Jace crept ever forward, Sanguine Rose at the ready. Panic rose but quickly fell to anger, then cold resolve. She was still afraid, just too mad to run away. Screw him. I can do this. And she could. Never mind that she had no schooling, the ghosts and draugr were excellent teachers. With each mistake she felt smarter and stronger, though admittedly filthier and quite a bit bloodier. When she found a spell tome, instead of tucking it away for sale this time she read it. Then she practiced the spell. It seemed a bad idea to raise weak zombies if she was in any kind of immediate danger, but it made her proud to know that she could do it. The final chamber held a terrifying sight. But there was also a lot of cover. Jacelyn could not have predicted what would happen in there had she read a thousand adventure stories, but with determination, a strong interest in survival, and the dremora summoned from Sanguine’s realm she prevailed. Vigilance found her while she was ransacking the main burial chamber. He was a mess. Jacelyn resolved to learn a healing spell that she could cast on others, and try harder to get him to stay outside next time. She had a powerful bow that was slow to draw. It would be very bad to miss and accidentally shoot the dog with it. The lost circlet was in the offering chest along with some other very nice items. She took as much as she could carry, cursing the absent Vorstag all the while. Before she left, she ran her hands over a glorious set of ebony armor. He would love to have this, she thought, placing it back in the chest. Screw him, he can come and get it. Outside Jacelyn discovered two not-surprises: her horse was gone, and it was still raining. “Rutting hells,” she muttered, trudging toward Falkreath. All of the camping supplies were in her saddlebags and therefor wandering around somewhere on the horse. But frankly she was not ready to camp alone anyway. When it got dark she began to wish for her tent after all. The rain kept putting out her torch. If I was a real mage I’d know a spell for this, she fumed. After some time Jace heard hoof beats on the road in front of her. Vigilance perked up as she squinted through the curtains of rain to see what was approaching. She was near panic by the time she recognized it was Midnight. Vorstag jogged up from the rear as she greeted her horse. Perhaps there had been an attack as she reached the Cairn that she had somehow missed, Jace reasoned. She waited for the explanation. Eventually Vorstag said, “Do you need something, or do you just want to talk?” Jacelyn did not let his mild tone soothe her. The rain, the ruin, and her lingering shame from the past two days sparked her temper. “Not a thing,” she snapped. “In fact, go hump yourself. I got the circlet with no thanks to you. I’ll take it back to… Uh…” “Rustleif.” “Yeah, to Rustleif, in…” Dammit, where are we supposed to return the cursed thing? “Dawnstar,” said Vorstag. Skitt. That’s a long way. “Yeah, to Dawnstar by myself. I guess since I did all the work I should get the credit.” Again it took Vorstag some time to answer. “Farewell, then,” he finally said. “You know where to find me, if you want.” He led his horse away through the rain. Fat fetching chance, Jacelyn thought, but with her eyes starting to burn she didn’t trust her voice to yell it after him. In Dead Man’s Drink Jace felt very alone. She drank all of the Alto wine and ate some sweets to make herself feel better. Then she drank all of Vorstag’s ale to forget him. Eating his venison trail rations out of spite would just make her feel worse, so she gave a long strip to Vigilance and tossed the rest. “Mama was right,” she informed the barmaid, bard, fellow patrons, Vigilance the war dog, and the innkeeper, “the only thing you can trust with men is that they’ll leave you.” Drinking did not make any of the locals more attractive, nor did it seem to draw any of them to Jacelyn. Left alone for once, she decided to eradicate all traces of her former partner. As the evening progressed so did the mess surrounding her. At the bottom of her pack Jace found yet another new armor set she had been collecting for Vorstag. She had just needed the gauntlets. “Two thousand coins wasted,” she slurred to herself. As she started to fling the pieces aside, she hesitated. Then she stuffed them back into her pack and covered them with some of her dresses. For all the rubies in the world, she couldn’t have explained why she did it.. Edited by Grits, Jul 28 2016, 10:01 AM.
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| Areial | Jul 28 2016, 10:14 AM Post #150 |
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Et'Ada
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Hopefully one of them get's some sense! good update! |
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| Andra Hawksdaughter | Jul 28 2016, 01:30 PM Post #151 |
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Jarl
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Ooh, two STUBBORN people! Rock, meet the hard place.... I loved reading it though Grits, wonderful!! :D |
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| Serethil | Jul 28 2016, 07:11 PM Post #152 |
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Et'Ada
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Oboyoboy.... irresistible force meet immovable object. Not sure who's which, but probably they're interchangeable! Really looking forward to more, Grits! |
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| Grits | Jul 30 2016, 04:05 PM Post #153 |
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Thane
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Yep, in this case I was tempted to wring both of their necks. Thank you, ladies! :) Jace: page 17 “I enjoy this work well enough, but I’m ready to retire. I’ve been thinking of selling the inn to Ysolda. Anyway, what do you need?” “My usual room, please, Hulda. Dinner and breakfast for me and my dog.” Jace placed her hand on Vigilance’s head in case Hulda thought she was speaking of the absent Vorstag. “Ale, mead? Wine?” “Um… one bottle of Alto, please.” Jace felt her face flush at Hulda’s raised brows. It was true that Jace’s bar bills were legendary in Whiterun, but on this trip she needed to watch her step. Not only did she want to avoid running afoul of the law here, but the other night she was beaten nearly to death by Bolund in Falkreath. To be fair his brother Solaf did warn her that theft would be followed by regrets, and then Bolund awoke to find Jace’s hand in his pocket. Still, he could have stopped trying to murder her once the guards intervened. The ride from Falkreath to Whiterun had been lonely, but once secure in the Bannered Mare Jacelyn uncharacteristically chose to simply keep her own company. She took on her alchemist guise in her business around town, which was no longer a lie since she had become quite skilled in that craft. Farengar had the spells she wanted plus a few others that looked interesting. Now Jace can cast a decent ward, though she fears that without practice she would be cut to pieces if she tried to use it in any kind of confrontation. Dawnstar is a long way from Whiterun, and Jacelyn is afraid. She has heard of frost trolls, snow bears, and snowy sabre cats in the northern holds. Any true Nord would be thrilled to test themselves against such beasts, but Jace is a Breton. She is thrilled to sleep in ‘til mid-day snugly wrapped in their furs. The local taverns are home to several capable-looking mercenaries. Jacelyn has considered hiring one to replace her old partner, at least for the road trips. She will probably take the carriage to Dawnstar, though. It hasn’t occurred to her that she might travel with someone and not sleep with them, and she thinks she shouldn’t look for someone new until she can at least bring herself to say Vorstag’s name. |
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| Areial | Jul 30 2016, 04:47 PM Post #154 |
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Et'Ada
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very good read... still being a bit thick huh? |
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| Serethil | Jul 30 2016, 04:52 PM Post #155 |
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Et'Ada
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Eh, that girl. She's definitely not thinking straight! Great update, Grits!
Edited by Serethil, Jul 31 2016, 09:32 AM.
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| Andra Hawksdaughter | Jul 30 2016, 04:56 PM Post #156 |
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Jarl
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Aww Jace! And blast Vorstag for being dense as a brick! Wonderful read, even if the two of them make me want to cry. |
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| Rick | Jul 31 2016, 06:17 AM Post #157 |
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Jarl
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I had to reread Jaces tale looking for that turning point. Well, Jace has been stiff toward Vorstag due to her rape ordeal trauma thanks to that guard, but she couldn't tell him why.....so in his shoes I'd think she had lost interest....then.....she crashed out with Embry. That doesn't look good. Vorstag is feeling "dumped" I'd wager. He will be rightfully angry that the fickle minx gave him the cold shoulder and slept beside a sozzled old drunk instead.....what an insult to a proud Nord. He probably saw Jace as 'his' woman after their adventures, (even though he was paid....because her bedding him was like her giving herself to him....its not OUR culture). Thats how I would feel! If only Vorstag knew the truth behind her behaviour. I do hope she gets a chance to tell him what happened......I bet he'd come over all protective and indignant about 'his' woman being hurt....one dead guard coming up. Er.....yeah.....gonna shut up now before you think I'm writing it. But thats how her tale gets me......whatever happens I will be there Brilliant writing Grits :hugs: |
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| Grits | Jul 31 2016, 10:59 AM Post #158 |
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Thane
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Areial, looks like Jace is slow learner. This was an interesting part of her game, since she usually does everything she can to avoid thinking about things. Thanks! Sere, thank you! She has always been too worried about disliking what she’d find to look inward, so it’s a slow process for her. Andra, one fun thing about re-writing parts of this is giving Vorstag his say. Of course it’s Vorstag, so he doesn’t say very much. :P Thank you! Rick, you’re right on track with how things looked to Vorstag. Also Jace does not fool him nearly as much as she thinks she fools him, if at all. He has seen a lot in his merc life, and Jace hasn’t even seen enough of the world yet to know how little she’s seen. One thing that happened in Jace’s game sometime after this part is a mod issue that made me revert to a previous save and lose some of the events the way I had written them in the BethSoft thread. Things made far more sense the second time through without the mod conflict fouling things up. For Jace’s story that means we’ll get to hear Vorstag’s side, in a little bit. Also a Markarth update is completely different, and feels a lot more true to the Vorstag we know. Thank you, Rick! The next part needs a re-write and it’s time for me to take some teenagers to see a show. I hope everyone is having a great weekend! <3 |
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| Kane | Aug 1 2016, 09:11 AM Post #159 |
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Overlord
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Hopefully things get better for Jace! |
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| Grits | Aug 2 2016, 03:25 PM Post #160 |
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Thane
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Thanks, Kane! :) Jace: page 18 Jacelyn made her way to Solitude after returning the lost circlet in Dawnstar and receiving a measly 100 gold in return. She picked up a notice from some Dunmeri-sounding person with a lost necklace which if found could be returned to them in Solstheim for a reward. Jacelyn is pretty sure that passage to Solstheim would cost more than whatever reward is offered, if it’s anything like Rustleif’s pittance. She kept the note, however. She has no idea where she’ll go next. Solstheim might be as good a place as any other. The frozen marshes outside Morthal offered a number of valuable alchemy ingredients. Jace followed the songs of Nirnroot plants until she saw the great city on the arch high above her. That’s how she decided to go there. She saw it. The marshes also yielded a fair number of mudcrab legs. Jacelyn knows in theory how to cook them, and now she has the ingredients. Tonight she is going to feast on the tender flesh of her would-be murderers dipped in drawn butter. The marsh also hosts some creature that spits poison from such a great distance that she never even saw it before running for her life. She got soaked in the marsh water, but she survived. Jacelyn feels lost in this great city. Her dresses look clean and neat but plain compared to the folk around her. It took her three changes of clothing in the tower outside the gate before she was satisfied, and now she’s uncertain again. All of these fine folk make her feel like they know she was the lowliest kind of kitchen maid and will never really improve her station. She’s already been approached by two mercenaries offering their services, which makes her think she must look like an easy mark. In her favor, she has a full purse and a pack loaded with alchemy ingredients. A city like this must offer many shops to plunder, perhaps even some where she might spend some gold. Her dog still likes her, and so does her horse. She has a warm room in a nice inn. They even have a bard. Seeing the bard reminds Jacelyn that somewhere in a pack she has a drum that she found in Halldir’s Cairn. It looks too old to be useful, but it was placed carefully with some other grave goods that she recognized as valuable. Perhaps someone at the Bards College would pay her for it. Jace has a way of talking to people that gets them to agree with her. On the road she even talked herself out of a robbery. She will be extra polite, however. The Bards College is after all probably full of smooth-talking bards. |
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