Always Lost, Always Hopeful (208) Absent Honor

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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day






4-202-03-15 08:40
Jerall View Inn, Bruma, Bruma County, Cyrodiil


After our bath and breakfast, me and my followers exit the city by the northwestern gate and venture into the fairytale-like silvery wilderness, with the goal of locating a presumably nasty dungeon infested with depraved criminals.

We pass by the Bruma Western Watchtower, wave hello to the guard on duty outside the entrance, and give a wide berth to a club-carrying humanoid creature who looks somewhat smaller than a giant but, judging by the sound of his footsteps, seems to weigh at least four times more.

Our destination, Capstone Cave, is nearby. How come the city guards haven't discovered it yet? Or do they have some kind of a working arrangement with the bandits?

We go in,

sneak up on a bandit and kill him easily. We find a long and confusing letter by someone called Dar'zorben (a Khajiit??) to the effect that Atienne is such a pompous fool while in fact he, Dar'zorben, is the coolest guy ever. The letter mentions some future plans which involve double-crossing Atienne, but frankly I don't understand much. We must go and show this letter to Adius, maybe he can use ot somehow.

There are passages leading to other caves and I can detect signs of plentiful human presence, but the girls agree that it makes more sense to consult Adius first rather there attack bandits at random, hoping that Atienne may be among them. The information in the letter might enable Adius (who unlike us knows the local circumstances) to reach the goal with less bloodshed.

So we go out again.

Noticing a shack on top of a nearby hill in the direction opposite to the city, I decide to check it out before returning to Bruma. We meet a riding guard, something one doesn't see in Skyrim, and discover a big windmill. There's a village called Applewatch. That's great. We have some business in Applewatch.

We talk to a few villagers. It seems they are leading a simple, peaceful life and are very content.

I'm very happy for the villagers who have found their little world of calmness and relative carelessness. That is with the exception of a small boy who is excited to see adventurers and eager to become one.

Then we find an old man with a beard whose name is Gergus. He's indeed a cider producer and he says he's sorry for the delay, and promises to have the cider delivered to the inn in the city today or tomorrow.

This is a nice tranquil place to live, but not for me, of course. The realization really hits me how I long to be in a city, wear beautiful clothes, talk to people and help them with problems that don't involve killing anyone. We're going to do that today. We'll return to Bruma, report to Adius, and then dress up in those new clothes we bought the other day and spend the rest of the day in the palace.

We go by the road to the Western Watchtower and reach Bruma soon. I ask a guard where Captain Adius is. She says he went to take a look at some trouble near the marketplace.

We find Adius in front of Botram's house. Apparently Botram walked in on a burglar and ran back out.

Strangely enough, Adius seems afraid to go in. He knows there's a trapdoor in the house that leads to some underground tunnels where bandits have been known to reside, and now he suspects an ambush. Seeing me and my followers approach, he welcomes the distraction and asks me if we succeeded in finding out anything about the theft in the palace. I show him the letter we found, but then Botram interrupts us insisting that Adius do something about the burglar in his house. While they are arguing, I exchange a few words with a woman elbowing her way through the crowd which has gathered around us. She turns out to be Ila, one of the three people who owe money to that Razz-whatever. She owns the stables in the northern end of the city, and she's unhappy because one of the horses ran away recently. I promise her I'll look into it when I have the time, but now Adius requires my attention again. He says we have to go and catch that burglar, and he wants me and my followers to go in first.

Excuse me? What kind of a man are you? I'm used to having to tell men in the strongest possible terms that they are not to run past me and charge at the enemy. More often than not, I've been unsuccessful. This is the first time ever I see a man insisting a woman go into danger ahead of him. (Oh... you're right, that Orc chieftain was actually the first.)

I'm keeping my thoughts to myself, of course. In fact, I much prefer to go in first, but such behavior from a man is just mind-blowing.

Well, we are to find out there wasn't much danger to start with. Having entered the house, we see a heavily injured man sitting on the floor. He doesn't look like he's able to stand up, let alone attack anyone. Neither does he seem to carry any weapons and there's no sign of an ambush.

Adius demands to know his name. Atienne, he says. And what may he be doing in this house? Well, he escaped from the bandits to whom he was trying to sell the things he had stolen from the palace, but they double-crossed him – took away his loot, beat him and left him tied up. With immense effort, he was able to free himself, find the ladder to this house and push the trapdoor open with his last strength.

So the Akaviri artifacts are still down there?

Yes.

With his firm decisiveness back, Adius tells me he'll bring Atienne to the prison while me and my followers go and get the stolen items. I raise no objections.

While the guards are helping Atienne to stand up (because he's really at the end of his strength; they'll have to practically carry him), the girls and I climb down the ladder that is under the trapdoor under the bed.

Exploring the passages, we meet three or four bandits who are dead almost before they realize what hit them. One is indeed a Khajiit named Dar'zorben. Nearby is a bag with unusual amulets and rings that look Akaviri enough to us. No sign of a katana, but I think this is still better than nothing. We hurry to return to the ground before the rest of the bandits would notice something is going on.

I guess Adius will be expecting us in the palace as soon as possible. But I have no scruples letting a "man" like him wait. Therefore, we stroll unhurriedly and look around. Passing by the temple, we end up in a conversation with an oldish woman Felki who tells us a not very interesting but long tale about the history of her family who originally were very enterprising farmers in the area of Windhelm.

When we reach the palace and return Count Desilus (for the victim was none other than him) his valuable collection (sans the katana, I'm really sorry), he can't thank me and my followers enough.

Desilus hands me ceremoniously some money as a reward, but his tone of voice leaves no doubt that this is only a formality; the real reward is his benevolence in the future, should we ever need it.

I now return to Adius to talk to him about Dar'taqto and give him the memory gem from that elven man.

I am shocked more than words can say when Adius adresses me like some highly dubious-looking stranger just arrived in the city.

I can't believe his haughty hostility which is fact makes me think for a moment that I walked up to a wrong man. I look at Lydia in utter confusion. She shrugs slightly and I look back at Adius. Well, it is Adius. But what's happened to him? When we first talked about the theft, he assured me that if I succeeded in helping him, he would be "extremely appreciative". That's what he said. Not just "very grateful" or something like that. He pointedly told me I would find him extremely appreciative. And now he treats me like it was the height of insolence on my part to even make bold to address someone of his importance.

I bring up the topic of Dar'taqto all the same. He laughs and says I'm not the first one Dar'taqto (who has, of course, been in trouble with the law many times in the past) has convinced someone to talk to Adius in his defense. But Cedus accuses Dar'taqto, so there is "regrettably" nothing he can do.

Are you out of your mind or is this some kind of a joke? How can you assume a man is a criminal just because someone accuses him? If I lose my wallet, can I then point a finger at anyone I don't like, claim he stole my wallet, and you will then send him to prison?

Adius clearly doesn't appreciate this line of reasoning, but he doesn't have any sensible counter-arguments either. So he grudgingly agrees that Dar'taqto shall not be punished. However, he will have to leave the city forever. He's undeniably a habitual criminal, so there shall be no place in Bruma for him.

I can hardly argue against that. But I still ask Adius to listen to the memory gem I brought. He agrees readily and lets me and the girls listen in.

Well, that's a complete flop, albeit a hilarious one. We learn that Cerendil was evidently visiting The Restful Watchman and some regular customers, including that suspicious Argonian man Crouches-In-Crevices, who weren't all that fond of elves, thought of playing a little prank on him, so they paid a prostitute, apparently also an Argonian, to do something to him. (They referred to a scene from the book "The Lusty Argonian Maid" which I haven't read, but my followers burst out laughing.) On the gem, Cerendil sounds extremely indignant and repulsed by what followed. As we can't hear any sounds of pain, the most likely reason for his protest was his contempt of Argonians as such. Yet he seemed to be too drunk to resist the girl, and seemed to get aroused in spite of himself, and reach a climax to the obvious amusement of an unknown number of witnesses.

When the recording stops, Adius looks at me and he doesn't even have to say anything. Clearly no one broke any law there. He tells me to get out of his sight.

Indeed, I do get out of his sight. It's already dark outside, so I instruct my girls to go somewhere far away from here and make sure to be seen there, each one in a different place. Me, I choose a spot well hidden in the mostly dark palace courtyard and wait until Adius exits the palace without a care in the world, evidently for his usual walk around the city. I follow him to an empty street. Then I shoot the jerk dead. I wish I could have taken him somewhere in the woods and beaten him slowly to death, but that was obviously unfeasible. With the density of guards they have in this city, I'll be lucky to get away with this simple assassination.

I quickly sneak away to show myself in some other part of the city. I'm shocked to my core. I mean, I'm not making anything up here. I clearly remember he said "extremely appreciative". What has to be going on in the head of a man who after such a ceremonious promise treats you like complete garbage and wouldn't as much as suppress a simple theft charge, a completely unproven one at that? Come to think of it, what kind of a justice system would accuse a person without a shred of evidence? What kind of a nest of vipers have I come to admire?

Approaching my inn, I realize that next to that pompous and treacherous jerk, even Bentior doesn't look all that bad.

I step briefly into the Jerall View Inn. Cerendil is there. I tell him there is no criminal case in that incident. He exclaims angrily that he shall return home without delay.

The way he comments on the whole thing confirms my suspicion that his problem was not the, um, act per se but the fact that is was performed by a lowly Argonian. So, good riddance. I'm sure this kind of attitude will not be missed here.

Cerendil almost storms out without paying for his drink, while I walk up to Dar'taqto whom I'm noticing in a corner. I tell him he's free to go, and more than that – evicted from Bruma. He's relieved as well as very sad. He tells me he has nowhere to go. Well, I very much doubt he has no savings he could use for settling down in another settlement, even though it may be one with fewer opportunities for stealing. And if he's a hunter as he told me, he is obviously able to survive the journey. However, he is also my boyfriend. That's why I tell him he can travel with me if he really has nowhere to go. It may be a lot more dangerous than traveling on his own, though. For that matter, he might want to wait until he's actually thrown out of the city by the guards. After all, I'm not a court messenger or something, so my telling him that Adius wants him to leave Bruma has no legal validity. (I obviously can't tell him Adius is dead, but I realize too late I had no reason to tell him anything about Adius's decision to begin with; after all, me and my followers were the only people who even knew about it. Guess I'm somewhat confused from all that's happened recently.)

Stantus (left) suggests to Gryfard (right) that he'll feel better after he's had a somewhat stronger drink.
Admiring Gryfard's clothes, I kind of missed the part where he explained what he was unhappy about.  :-)
Even though I know, he's a clothes vendor, it's still a rare delight to see a common man nicely dressed.

After informing Stantus his cider should arrive tomorrow at the latest, and learning it already did and he's very grateful to me, I head for The Restful Watchman. Bentior is glad that Cerendil's incident is not going to have any judicial consequences. Yet, when I try to make some general conversation, he makes it very clear that the less he sees me, the happier he'll be. Right. He is all that bad after all.

I have now shown myself to enough neutral witnesses and in fact talked a few words to a city guard along the way, so that I can dare stroll back towards the palace with that very guard. There are already two of his colleagues shockedly bending over the dead body of Adius. As I walk casually the other way, I wonder if I should take the matter of Dar'taqto up with the count himself. No, I'd better try to talk to that merchant first. Not tonight, though. I walk back to the central square and realize I haven't been to the temple yet. It's not an inviting place. The shape of the building looks kind of heavy and oppressing from the outside. Even the robust architecture of the ancient Nordic ruins doesn't make you feel they're going to crush your soul should you venture inside.

However, I shouldn't avoid the building just because of its weird and unfriendly outer appearance. So I go in with my followers who have been walking around here and there and have found me by now and are eager to hear all about the mysterious murder of Captain Adius which has already become the talk of the town. (No one seems to be suspecting me, not after my recent feat that is generally assumed to have made me pretty much his favorite person in this city.)

The temple is poorly lighted and there's not a living soul there, apart from the priest himself.

There are altars to all the eight permitted gods, so we can pray to Dibella. When we walk out again, I ask the girls to give me some time alone. I find a secluded spot along the side wall of the temple and sit down to think. Things have been going very wrong. I'm no longer enjoying myself in this city. Adius's treachery has made me almost hate the whole world. I know it'll pass, but I certainly don't feel like parading around in beautiful clothes in the palace anymore. Not in a place of such double-dealing and corrupt justice. I mean, after all that's happened, I'm not even sure Afanna is really my friend. And then I find myself reflecting on the blacksmith Hulgard's words about the explosive power struggle in Cyrodiil. Our war against the Aldmeri Dominion no longer looks as hopeful as I used to think.

Around midnight, I walk back to my inn and go to sleep.

Thank you, friend. You have no idea how much I needed this. Ask me for a favor anytime.

next awakening






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Always Lost, Always Hopeful (206) Causes for Bitterness

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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
———————————————




previous day






4-202-03-13 07:27
Jerall View Inn, Bruma, Bruma County, Cyrodiil


The inn has a big bathroom on the basement floor. They're not too strict here about keeping men and women apart, but if that's the local custom then who are we to complain? Luckily at least there are two large pools (with a few meters' distance between men's and women's) and the lighting is not too bright.

Afterwards, I go up to the taproom to eat a little something. Stantus has a map of Bruma for me as he promised. I thank him and ask if I can do anything for him in return. He says he's worried about a shipment of cider from the nearby village of Applewatch that hasn't arrived in time. If I could go there and talk to a man named Gergus on his behalf, he'd appreciate it. I promise to do it one of these days.

Outside, it's a lovely winter day.

I send my girls shop-(re)discovering and head for the palace. I observe that while the guards' uniforms don't look all that pretty here, they seem properly warm, unlike in Skyrim. But I'm a lot more interested in seeing what the women wear in the palace and what's there to do and learn here, and who knows, maybe Afanna has already some news for me.

Having entered the impressive building, I introduce myself politely to the first man I see. He turns out to be none other than Adius Vilius, the captain of the city guards. He asks if I, by any chance, have come across any items of Akaviri origin recently.

I'm not even sure who the Akaviri were. They're not the same as the Ayleids, are they? Don't worry, I'm not actually saying something so ignorant to Adius. I simply reply I haven't.

We take a few steps aside, out of the people's way, and Adius tells me in great detail how Akaviri artifacts are a great craze among the nobles here, as well as extremely valuable, and now someone important has gotten burglared big time and is driving Adius crazy with his impatient demands that the thieves be caught and, more importantly, his priceless possessions returned. Unfortunately, there is no clue to either who the thieves may be or how they even succeeded in getting in and out. However, Adius's entire career may depend on this case, so should I succeed in helping him with this, I'll find him extremely appreciative, he assures me.

Cautious not to bring up Dar'taqto too soon, I ask Adius about his personal life. He tells me he has a wife and children in Imperial City and came up here looking for work. As you probably have noticed by now, he clearly enjoys talking to me. (Of course he's nowhere near the first man who does.) He says he dislikes the constant political intrigues and persecutions and instability. He makes me realize that in order for the society to function, laws mustn't be changed too frequently – not only because of the confusion it creates, but more importantly because the simple people need the feeling that the law is something real, meaning you don't obey the law just because it's the current ruler's whim, but because it's actually the right thing to do. And for that, it's vital that the laws be stable.

We come to the topic of criminality. Adius explains me that corrupt people in high places are a real menace and he's very unhappy he can't do anything about it. Thieves who actually take things from other people are less a problem for the society. The most peculiar among the latter, he tells me, is a Khajiit named Dar'taqto. He steals from the super rich and sells his loot cheaply to the poor.

I won't tell Adius just yet that I know Dar'taqto. Neither am I going to ask if Dar'taqto could have been the one behind this Akaviri thing. I'd better go and find the palace steward who Adius says can tell me more about the stolen articles. I mean, I need some background information. With my current level of knowledge, I could trip over an Akaviri artifact and fail to recognize it as such.

I say goodbye to Captain Adius and go to find the steward and explore the palace while I'm at it.

Now, I'm certain that someone so important is unlikely to be found in the basement, but I still want to check out the basement first. One can get a better feel of a palace place by looking at the servants' quarters before the throne room.

Passing by a guard, I say hello and he greets back. Looks like my walking around and peeking into various rooms is not a problem. I read a notice about the ruler's reception hours, an advertisement for a museum in the house of our buddy Harald Burdsson, and an appeal to do something about the announced closure of the Nirn Theater.

Another guard whom I politely greet tells me smuggling is a major problem and I ought to report it in the palace if I should hear anything about it.

I have been walking up and down various staircases. Currently I seem to be approaching the nobles' living quarters that are on the ground floor. I ask people if someone has hired mercenaries recently, and learn nothing suspicious.

Then Afanna walks past me as if not knowing me, and puts something into my hand. I walk away casually and find a bench next to a beautiful potted plant to examine the object. It's Simund Gautierre's journal. Most of the entries concern mundane topics uninteresting for me, but my jaw drops when I read the author occasionally mention how annoying he finds the obvious signs of affection by... Afanna Eddici!!

I can't believe Afanna let me see something so embarrassing. I mean, I can understand she hates the man because he has spurned her and  caught herself an Orc bandit (yes, obvious indications to that are in the journal too), so she is eager to grab every opportunity to harm him, and that's why she agreed so readily to help me, but why didn't she tear out the pages that are revealing her profound humiliation – for few things are more mortifying than being undesired as a woman?

Well, I'm not sure how to ask her. So I just continue my exploration tour. A big room that can be a library or a recreation room has a cozy fireplace. I notice a book that has some phrases in the old Ayleid language with translations:

Another one contains proper prayers to all eight gods (we're in the No-Talos-Land once again):

I go on exploring the palace. Among other things, I take a look at a bedroom that has Thalmor Robes  laid out on a commode. The occupant is absent. And then I finally reach the servants' quarters. They are much smaller and simpler than previous rooms, but, I daresay, less cramped and far better lighted than most homes in Skyrim. A conversation with an embittered chief cook Bolar reveals nothing interesting. A shy Argonian maid hurries away when she sees me. All in all, I think I like Bruma. In spite of some of the higher-ranking apparently doing bad things, I generally feel good around here.

I guess it's about time to find the throne room now.

Having done so, I first talk to the count (the local name for a jarl) Desilus and then to his steward Rignar. The count is an incredibly nice man, really committed to doing all he can for his people. Even though he's an Imperial, he points out that Bruma is just as much Nord as Imperial. I also learn that Bruma is relatively well-off, because it wasn't damaged too badly in the Great War. Some other counties of Cyrodiil have been really devastated. It's basically the same thing Albecius Jucani told me yesterday.

From Steward Rignar, I learn the stolen Akaviri artifacts were mostly rings and amulets, meaning things that can easily be concealed and hidden, as well as something called a katana. I refrain from asking what it is, not wanting to come across like a barbarian.

I now walk around in the city, talk to a beggar and find the shop where Eddvia works.

It would appear that the man Hulgar she fancies is his boss, the owner of this very shop. He's not here at the moment. It's a nice, clean, cozy establishment, and Eddvia is a beautiful and kind woman. I wish I'd be able to help her somehow.

But now I must have a consultation with my followers about that mercenary affair.

This is the Synod building halfway from the blacksmith's to the temple.

I'm reluctant to tell Dumrag that it was most likely Simund who arranged the kidnapping of his wife. That big Orc looks crazy enough to burst into the palace and kill Simund.

The girls think it's not that bad. Judging by what he's told me, he's very much aware that his wife may be still alive and held in captivity, in which case he'll be first and foremost interested in liberating her. He'll know he can't do that with the mastermind dead. Just because he's very strong and very straightforward, I mustn't hold him for an idiot, they point out.

As for Afanna's motives, we come up with the following hypothesis together:
When Afanna got acquainted with me, she saw an opportunity to use me to harm Simund. However, she feared that if she tore out the journal pages that were embarrassing for her, I might suspect her of foul play. So she left the pages there to convince me that the journal was genuine. Harming Simund was more important to her than avoiding shame.
We are in agreement that Afanna could not have fabricated such an extensive journal in one day. Neither could she have fabricated just the one entry where Simund reveals that he fancies that Orc mercenary woman. I mean, when there are, say, six books on a shelf, you can easily insert a book between the second and the third, but you can't replace a part of a written text with another.
But how did Afanna know that I was investigating the kidnapping of the Orc woman, you may ask. Well, that's because I asked her if one of the nobles had hired mercenaries. It was enough for an obviously smart woman like her to put two and two together, even though I didn't say anything about looking for a kidnapped woman.

Nevertheless, it's not impossible that Afanna fabricated the entire journal, or the last part of it, over a long time, and was patiently waiting for someone to appear whom he could show it to. Therefore, I still refuse to say anything to Dumrag before I've confronted Simund with the journal and given him an opportunity to speak in his defense.

Oh, by the way, Jordis knows that a katana is a special kind of sword, very rare in our part of the world.

We now walk to the marketplace together. It's between our inn and the other inn where I want to enquire about the theft from the palace.

I'm glad to see the nice Bosmer alchemist Ananril, but I'm much more excited by the sight of a tailor Gryfard who sells clothes. He says he's not really a good salesman and so he doesn't like the commercial part of his trade, but we are utterly fascinated by the wares he is offering and in fact buy quite a few beautiful things. In addition to that, he's a Breton from High Rock, so I must try and talk to him some more someday.

Eager as I may be to try out all those new garments. I'd better go to The Restful Watchman first. Passing by the temple, we encounter two children on their way home. One happens to be the younger brother of Eddvia and the other one the daughter of Lassinia, the serving girl whose husband is missing, remember?

Both tell us eagerly about their families and how the bad boring adults keep them from fascinating adventures. They don't know anything that would advance me with my goals, though. I lorder my followers to see them home safely and then join me in The Restful Watchman in case I should need help intimidating someone. I'll go and have a look around alone first.

I'm not seeing any new faces in the taproom. The disgusting proprietor Bentior talks to me in an unspeakably sleazy way that makes me want to kill him right here and now. Maybe he senses my anger, because when I insist he tell me if he's heard anything about the theft of Akaviri artifacts from the palace, he reveals to me that a Breton man named Atienne has been visiting his inn every now and then, and he's not from this city which is why Bentior doesn't really know what he's up to, so he might just as well have something to do with that theft.

I have a disctinct feeling that Bentior knows more than that. Yet he refuses to help me further on the grounds that it's bad for business to tell too much about one's customers. By now I'm on my last nerve and inform him I don't give a rat's ass about his business and I have to know where I can find that man. Bentior laughs in my face and I leave, fuming. He wants trouble – I'll give him trouble. That little skeever, who does he think he is? I'm going to destroy him.

My girls remind me it would be a pity if the locals were to lose their familiar neighborhood inn. I counter that if Bentior goes under it doesn't mean the inn has to. I'll talk to Adius tomorrow about making Bentior's life really difficult.

We walk back to our inn by a roundabout route and meet Rilja the trader of Ancient Nord weapons along the way. She talks fascinatedly about Nord heritage and such. Lydia and Jordis seem to like her a lot.

Back at our inn, Jordis asks me if I'm now up to telling them about the reasons behind my reluctance to be with Yrsarald when we were passing by Windhelm, and I tell them what I've already told you. Later the Breton bard Ambric comes to sit with us and we change the topic, and then a couple more men join us and we chat late into the night.



next awakening






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