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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
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Siara N'Gola: Siara's Song
Topic Started: Jun 27 2016, 09:43 PM (4,200 Views)
Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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Ah, I was hoping the place would be enough to support the whole family, and that they could make it grow! :( That she's unsure about parenting is a good sign, that she'll be determined to learn. Definitely a great read Sere!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Well, after thinking it over - the mine's not huge, and in order to follow veins into other areas to get more ore, they have to start digging. LONG-term project. So.... it's back to business for the warriors....

There will be other surprises too. Stay tuned! And thanks, sis.
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Grits
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Oh, I love how they’re working together to earn what they need. It makes sense that the mine isn’t instantly ready, or there would already be a full-blown mining operation there. Siara’s doubts and determination about parenting ring very true. I am rooting for her whole new family!
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Serethil
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Siara 43:

Deni and Selalla had kept each other amused during the trip to Falkreath. They laughed and chattered, telling stories and singing. I was paying less attention to managing the horse and wagon than I should have, though no ill came of it - I was too wrapped in uncomfortable thoughts. Thoughts about what I could do to gain coin, that didn’t require dealing with bounties that paid little. And that lead to another thought: the bandits so far encountered in Skyrim were.... not very good at what they did. It was a thought I’d had before of course - but why do it then? Why not do something useful that would provide a decent living? I had no idea. I wondered if anyone - even the banditti in question - did.

Rum thoughts all of them. I sighed, and turned outward just as the Falkreath gates came into view. Somehow, things would get worked out. I had to believe that.

Selalla was a hells of a bargain-maker. We left Falkreath with a good bit of coin more than I’d expected, thanks to the matriarch of the family. It would be enough that I would not have to ask anyone to company me into the barrows and ruins. I wondered again at how different I was in ways - it didn’t bother me to delve into those antique places of the ancient dead - which dead of course still walked. And in truth, I needed the gold and gems and weapons and books far more than the walking dead ever could. But the others - they really felt as if there must be a prohibition. So I didn’t want to include them. But I thought Andur would likely make an issue of going along. If so, he could camp and wait outside perhaps.

Grumbling mentally about the things interfering with figuring out the Princes and what was going on in Hammerfell, I pulled into the Ridge, and put unconstructive thoughts away. A trip to Falkreath was the best part of the day - we were tired and hungry, but Selalla was happy with the barter, so I just smiled and shooed her and Deni off to the fire and the family while I unhitched the horse, brushed her down, and put her to grain and feed. I looked at her again, suddenly realizing she was likely in foal - now that was a GOOD thing. If the folk in Falkreath were as enamored of our horses as the stable master in Whiterun, we should be able to make some decent gold on horses. And that thought made me happy finally, so I went to the meal in a better frame of mind.

I found Selalla giving the men a serious dressing-down. Apparently, one of them had said something about me wanting to go grave-robbing.... and she took it ill. I didn’t hear all of it, but the men - and women too, truth be told - were looking very down at mouth. I waited until she was done, and food laid out, and then said to her “I wouldn’t have you make such an issue of it. I don’t have those feelings myself, but I would not want to force those who do to my ways.”

She smiled. “Nah, then. If it were the graves of our kin, yes, that’s a thing - and even you would balk at that. But these are the long dead but still walking of Skyrim. And they can be utilized to provide our living kin with the wherewithal to continue living.”

“Well.... it’s how I feel - yes. But I would take no one with me who could not put that reverence for the dead aside. It’s not a bad thing - it’s just.... inconvenient.... at the moment.”

She slanted me an ironic look. “I find it extremely interesting that you are perfectly capable of ignoring some things in yourself, but still find it necessary to allow them in others.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant, or if she was being argumentative - so I simply chose to salute her as the clan-mother, and let it go at that.

She laughed, and we went to the meal in charity. After all had eaten their fill, I stood and said “Morrowdawn, we will discuss ways and means, and who can accomplish what. We must make a plan, or things will go ill with us. This is a thing that all must meet about - no one can be left out because what we decide will affect us all. Think things over carefully. There is much to discuss.”

I called Deni over and sent her for the last of the Amarol brandy. “Now, here is enough for a sip for all. We will greet difficulty as a family.” Deni poured it around, and we all raised our mugs and sipped, and the mothers wet the lips of the babes.

We would overcome. We had to.
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Grits
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*raises glass*

I love how Siara and Selalla are working things out between them.
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Serethil
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Thanks Grits! Really - they have no choice. The younger folk of Selalla's family are fair lost in a world that's cold, white and pretty inimical. Siara, younger herself, is thrust by circumstance into becoming Selalla's lieutenant in a way.

I suppose that my writing "habit" is less about action and mayhem than it is about.... accommodation, and the working out of living in an unfamiliar, or unfriendly, or inclement environment. Action happens when needed - but for the most part, I write the living of lives - even in such an environment as Skyrim.
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Wonderful Sere!! The family will have to learn, or at least be open to, new ways. Not always an easy thing, but Siara will help them along, with Selalla's assistance! :D
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Areial
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I really like how not everyone agree's with Siara, but that she can understand a make allowances for that.
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Serethil
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Siara N'Gola 44:

Well, as a discussion, it was rowdy, boisterous, loud, contentious, and for all that, in harmony. Family. It’s what we are.

The consensus - eh, well.... there wasn’t one. Andur said, “I’m going with you, Liege and Lady. That’s an end of it.”

Others were less acquiescent. And I wasn’t going to belittle them for it either. Their beliefs, especially in a strange land, were a necessary part of their well-being. Finally, I held up a hand. “So. Andur will company me as I try to find the coin to start mine operations. If none of you ask me, I will not have to say things that will upset you. Is that agreed?” I was asking for - well.... a whitewashing of what I knew needed to be done....

Startlingly, there was almost instant agreement. So, they were full aware that I would do things that they would never want to know about. And therefore, they would not ask. That was as good an outcome as I could have hoped for. I could not have taken all with me anyway, as most needed to be here for protection, and for care of the eldest and youngest, and the mother to be.

And then I set about packing for a lengthy stay on the roads and in the ruins. I took Andur aside, and said bluntly “I know your heart isn’t in this. I can deal with this alone. I’d rather you were - comfortable - in yourself....”

He grinned. It was like a ray of light from the sun. “Nah then, Lady. If you can do what must be done, and I call you Liege, how can I say I will not?”

“I don’t want you to abrogate your beliefs.”

“I have - prayed - to Ruptga. He answered by lightening my heart. So it is what it is, and it will be what it will be. I follow you to wherever the roads take us. If we end in the Hells, well, so be it.”

I was - humbled. In all my days, I’d never thought to have someone so - simply intent - on being a guard, a guide, and a person to depend on. “I - thank you. More than that, but I know not how to say it. Should you ever find that you cannot in conscience follow me further down those roads, your soul will be absolved of any blame by me.” I followed with the honor salute of one to her shield-brother, and he flushed over his cheekbones.

He bowed, and turned to his own preparations.

We hadn’t been a day on the road when a Nord in poor iron armor with weapons about the same flung himself on us and tried his best to kill us. We were far better accoutered, and he didn’t last long. He groaned with his last breath, “Cami.... tried.... sorry....” and died. We searched him for anything that might have pertained to such a suicidal attack - and found an odd note, signed by the probable “Cami”:

Isidor -

Got a delving job for us. Meet me out near Cragwallow Slope in Eastmarch. Leave as soon as you get this. I hear tell of some ruins there leading into the Velothi Mountains; just uncovered by a landslide they say.

This is it. Fresh ruins; if we could be the first to pick them over, we could be rich! Who knows what’s down there, though. Bring the best gear you can lay hands on. Pick off someone on the road with good stuff if you have to - just get it and get to me, quick as you can.

- Camilla


Well, Camilla was going to have to do without Isidor. “Andur.... rich ruins.... and not perhaps Nordic ones. The Velothi chain is mostly outside of Skyrim, more in Morrowind from the maps I looked at. Should we....?”

He nodded firmly. “Aye. This sounds like a good thing to chase down. Do you know where is this Cragwallow Slope?”

“No. Not yet. But Eastmarch is north toward Windhelm. We’ll head for Whiterun, talk to the wizard in Dragonsreach about where the place is - he has a very good map as I recall - and then take the carriage to Windhelm, with the horses tied behind. Will that suit you?”

“It suits me well, Lady. If these are truly rich ruins, we might not need anything else for long and long.”

The wizard’s map wasn’t so detailed unfortunately. But he sent us to a colleague in Kynesgrove just south of Windhelm; he was sure that she would know where the place was. A week later, we were riding into the town. I hoped this wasn’t a wild daedra chase....
Edited by Serethil, Aug 11 2016, 09:13 PM.
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Very nice! It takes a resolute person to follow when their heart is split between belief and honor...
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Desperation made one foolish, as it does so many. You made me almost feel sorry for that thief! Loving the way the family is 'growing' with the changes they are having to (mostly) accept, and Andur is becoming a treasure! Wonderful Sere!
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Rick
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Maybe a few (a lot) of bandit occupied forts would provide the coin? Definitely more dangerous than Embershard....wouldn't be surprised if Siara lost a valued friend or two doing that.....tears in victory or tears in retreat! But ya gotta make coin to survive.

Befriend an alchemist....they can sell home brewed potions at market.

Get that transmute book!

Kill Thalmor to sell their gear :)
Oh no....second thoughts you don't want to hunted by the Aldmeri Dominion

Yeah, stick with bandit forts :)

Edit....oh, but yeah, in the meantime....good luck to Siara's band with that ruin...be careful in there!
Edited by Rick, Aug 12 2016, 08:10 AM.
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Serethil
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Actually.... now that it's released, Siara will be doing Clockwork. I'm going to finagle the "don't bring followers" thing (since I've already run 4 or 5 girls through it during the beta) - I don't have to play through it on her (well.... I did once because she's the highest level girl I have and Antistar wanted testing at different levels) but I know how it works out and it is a pretty high treasure mod at higher levels. And I don't want to drag her story out forever with dribs and drabs you get out of forts and barrows....

Besides.... There are "other considerations"....
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Serethil
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Siara 45:

Sighing internally, I thanked the mage for the information. Digging it out of her had required a large meal, wine, and several hours of chitchat. She wanted to know everything I knew about Farengar (practically nothing), Whiterun (I gave her some bits to think over, though they were months old now), and why did I think the Princes were flooding Hammerfell (how the hells did I know? That’s what I was trying to find out.... more or less.... in between other adventures....)

But eventually, she looked at my little scrap of a map and made a mark where she said we could expect to find Cragwallow Slope. I hoped, once there, the entrance to the ruins would be fairly obvious. At least the mage hadn’t asked WHY we were looking for Cragwallow....

By this time it was too late to start for the area. I took a room at the inn as Dravynea headed for her own bed - finally. Andur waved me to the bed, as normal, and spread his bedroll in front of the door. I slept well, and could only hope he did also - that was one of the things he just didn’t care to discuss.

We were up early - before sunup - and started out through the steam pools and hot sinks of the area to the southeast. Very different country.... full of giants, mammoths, wolves, and hot springs. I would have liked to bathe, but now was not the time. It boggled my mind that with all the water in Skyrim - not only cold in the lakes and rivers, but as hereabouts warm from the heat beneath the land - these people bathed so infrequently that when you inquired about baths, they gave you odd looks. Well.... I supposed that my own folk would give the Skyrimmers strange looks at the beards they affected, and the odd heavy clothing - not to mention the horses that from the hair alone made two of ours!

From the mark on the map, Cragwallow was not so far that we could be there by midday. Andur looked over the land, and the map, and suggested that we head to the northeast up a slope and around the shoulder of mountain back to the southeast - I shrugged and followed. Sometimes shortcuts were not a good thing, but the worst we came upon here was a pack of wolves which were soon dead to our weapons. With the bounty of this land in prey, I was constantly amazed that the predators were willing to front humans - but it is what it is.

And in fact, this shortcut saved us dealing with some silly necromancer git who was messing about just outside a cave opening - Cragwallow itself most likely. He had bodies cut up into collops - and I didn’t want to know anything else about what he was doing. Andur’s lip curled. “This was good. We go by above him, and don’t have to deal with all that.” I agreed. Distasteful - but then, magic was, in my view. I suppose there is good magic - and in fact the mages and priest who came with us into Skyrim, and are now part of our “family”, proved that - but there’s nothing good about necromancy and many other sorts are also suspect.

We wended our way to the southeast - and shortly it became quite obvious that some major upheaval had happened recently: there was a huge disturbed area of rock, soil, broken trees, downed brush, animal bodies - a landslide, and not of small proportions. We dismounted to one side, hopefully out of the way of further slides, and poked around near the leading edge of the disturbance.

Soon Andur motioned me toward an area near the largest boulder we’d ever seen - there was a yawning opening just under what seemed to be half the mountain. “Ah. Well, that would be where we should start I deem. But - think you we should camp until morning, and cook some food ahead, as well as gathering whatever’s available hereabouts?”

Andur grinned and nodded. “Aye. We don’t want to be going into some black opening under a mountain and a landslide without food and preparations!”

So we did. And then.... I thought me of the family. “We should have sent word where we are and what we’re about. They’ll worry....”

“I did, Lady. While you tried to not fall asleep over the nattering of that woman....”

“You’re a true gem, Andur! Thank you!” With that, we turned to sleep - in my mind, I wondered if Andur had any thoughts about the horses.... but the light-curtains stole my thoughts away, and then dark took me....
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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I'm excited to see what they are about to get into! It has to be frightening, but she still does as she must. Too bad no other came with them, but I guess it's hard to fight their beliefs. Great read, with Andur again proving himself again. :D
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Areial
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great read, I like the detail on the land and prep to go into the mountain!
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Rick
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Oh yes!
I enjoyed the Clockwork mod trailer immensly.....Dwarven gothic....a dark horror of sinister early victorian architecture with eerie brass marionettes clicking around. Loved the melancholy sound track. But I digress. Yes! I can foresee a deep adventure unfolding for our little party. Its gonna be good!
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Serethil
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This will be about my 6th playthrough - 4 beta ones, one "keeper" one, and the one for this RP. It's SO much fun, and I feel really special that I got to do the beta!

[Um. Okay.... how much detail should I go into? Not everyone will play Clockwork - and while some of you may play it eventually, I don't want to spoil things.... so maybe I should just make "generic dungeon" stuff for what goes on?]
Edited by Serethil, Aug 14 2016, 07:45 PM.
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Serethil
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Siara's Song 46:

As we woke and started to put together a meal, we looked at each other and said at virtually the same moment “The horses....”

I laughed. “We are reading minds now! So. What shall we do? If we are gone too long....” We could be of course. We could even die, and then what would the poor beasts do?

He thought a bit. “Well, I think we should return to that town where was the mage, and see if we can pay someone to look after them until we get back. We have time - there’s not so much urgency to this. I have looked - and the last tracks into the opening are small, probably the woman’s.”

“Good. That’s what I thought as well. Let’s stash most of this stuff here, and then take the horses back to Kynesgrove.”

As we headed back through the steam pools, we talked over what we would take with us - on our backs. “Torches. We probably don’t have enough. I wonder if there’s someone we can buy them from in the town. But there wasn’t a shop.... still they must have them for down the mine?”

“We will ask the innkeeper. And she should know who might take care of the horses for us, I think.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea Andur! Innkeepers know everything there is to know in a town.”

As we rode into town, we saw a horse standing at the inn. “Andur - is that....?”

“Aye. Perhaps it’s a very good thing we came back.” We dismounted and entered the inn, looking through the gloom for which of the family had come looking for us.

It was Elgial. Which made us a bit less antsy - if it had been Arnem, well it would likely have been very bad news....

“Ah, there you are! Bettala had a vision - she felt you would need someone to manage here while you search.”

Andur and I sent sideways glances, but forbore to discuss this just now. “That is helpful, Elgial. Here, now. We need to leave the horses here while we search out a deep ruin in the mountains southeast of here. So. Let us talk to the innkeeper. We will pay for your lodging here for - hmm - a fortnight. And we will leave you coin for another fortnight if it should be needed. Will you be comfortable caring for the horses?”

He scuffed a foot against the floor. “I’m - not - good with horses. I can drive them a bit, but....”

I nodded. “Not to worry. The innkeep will likely know someone who can be paid to care for them. You might talk to Dravynea, the mage, while we are gone - she may have things to teach that would benefit you and the other mages.”

“Oh that’s a good idea! I’ll seek her out. I’ve eaten and drunk, you should do as well, and talk to Iddra - um, the innkeeper - about the horses.” He took himself off, and I turned to the woman who had been watching and listening to us with interest.

“So, we need to pay a fortnight’s room and board for yon youngling mage. And we need to know if someone here in the village would be agreeable - and able! - to care for our horses while we follow the trail of a woman.” I deliberately did not mention ruins or treasure, and I would make sure that Elgial did not do so either.

“Ah, well, I think Roggi Knot-Beard could take care of the horses for you, and he’s always needing coin - to pay his bar bill if nothing else! Oh, here he is now, for nooning. Roggi - come and talk to these folk; I’ll bring you all a meal.”

So we ate, and talked to this Roggi; he was happy for the work, and the pay. After we’d eaten, we took him out with us to introduce him to the horses. They seemed to be fine with him; Andur asked about where he’d keep them, and we followed Roggi to his rented house, which had a fenced area behind that might have once been a garden.

“Ah, this will work, then! Now, what about feed? Is there somewhere to buy hay and grain? There’s not much feed here....”

“I’ll go to the stables at Windhelm and buy somewhat from Ulundil. That way they’ll have what’s good for them, and what they’re used to.”

We bargained a bit, but I was happy to pay whatever it took to keep our boys safe, well, and fed. Roggi even said he’d groom them. It seemed he was interested in the horses, outside of the money.

We found Elgial already talking with Dravynea, and pulled him aside to tell him the arrangements. I gave him coin for the next fortnight’s lodging plus a bit - it wouldn’t do to leave him with nothing after.

“We will try to be back within the first ten days. But we won’t know - and likely won’t be able to let you know. Now. One last thing: do not be spreading the tale of what we’re doing. We’d rather not have to deal with others perhaps also looking into this ruin.”

He nodded. “Aye, that’s sensible. I think Dravynea has an idea already, but I doubt she’ll say much to anyone.”

So, having taken as much care as we could with our animals and the young mage, we headed back for the area of the landslide, much less quickly of course - as we were now on foot. Andur was carrying the load of torch materials he’d bought from the mine foreman, and I said finally “We should trade off on that, or split the load and both carry some.”

“Nah then, Lady. I’m good for it. We’ll be camping again this night, and starting in the morning?”

“Aye. We should be fully rested , I think.”

I didn’t expect to sleep. But the long hike back had worn me to the point that I not only slept, I slept deeply and without dreams, or at least if I dreamt, I didn’t remember them.
Edited by Serethil, Aug 15 2016, 07:49 PM.
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Ooh, that was good, and I'm getting excited to hear about someplace new! Loved all the preparations, and it seems the young man will have quite the time with Dravynea.
And can't forget Roggi. :D

Great update Sere! :clap:
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