-
For some reason, the draw you feel to the tree is…
Different.
There's something more primal forcing you on, making you want to drink of the Hist. It's not your usual drive, similar to addiction, but merely a compulsion to act. Even if you'd wanted to leave, you don't think you'd have had the power to resist the call. Weary from the blizzard outside, you descend down to the tree's level. As you step through the gentle waters, you feel the tiredness wash away like it was nothing. At the bottom is a small wooden tap, with a single jar beside it. With practised hands, you turn it and catch the sweet substance before it hits the ground.
When it touches your lips, you feel pure ecstasy. This was what you should have done from the beginning. You crave this, this… feeling of wholeness.
You need more.
Trait gained!
Hist of Skyrim (Immune to all cold and freezing magic, +15 to all rolls while cold): The Hist Trees of Skyrim are... different, from the others.
Addicted to the Hist (Must roll a resistance check whenever you're offered Hist Sap): Your need for Hist Sap has gone beyond normal expectations, you need more.
After the ecstasy is done with you, the weariness comes back to your bones. Unable to hold yourself upright, you sink to your knees and collapse into the sweet-smelling grass.
You just… need to sleep… for a while…
Here again, huh?
You push yourself up off the ground, very aware that you're in the middle of a dream. Like the other times, though, you know there's more to it. Any moment now-
“Hello, little one.”
Ah yes, the voice.
“I have a gift for you.”
A gift?
“Good luck in your quest, little one. Make the right choices.”
What in the-
Gasping for air, you shoot up off your back and slam your head straight into the Hist. Cursing, you rub your forehead as you stand.
It's about then that you realise something's wrong.
Really wrong.
In a panic, you look for the nearest reflective surface – a pool of water at the bottom of a small waterfall. As you peer into the water, you see…
[] Yourself, except… a child.
[] An Altmer boy staring back.
[] A Bosmer boy staring back.
[] A Breton boy staring back.
[] A Dunmer boy staring back.
[] An Imperial boy staring back.
[] A Khajiit boy staring back.
[] A Nordic boy staring back.
[] An Orcish boy staring back.
[] A Redguard boy staring back.
[] A type of Elf staring back… you don't know the race.
-
What you see, looking back at you, is… human? Imperial? No, not quite. The features are slanted, with a squarer chin and shiny black hair set into a tight ponytail. At first you feel worry at these new features and touch your face, but…
…
It feels natural, almost, like you were always this way.
Trait gained!
Akavir (+10 to all honourable rolls, +5 to social rolls with all races, +1 to combat rolls): You're mired in an ancient culture, the right kind of exotic and naturally powerful; you are an Akavir.
Language gained!
Akaviri (Fluent)
Skill gained!
Katana: Disappointing (0/50)
Memories flood through you – memories that aren't your own.
Who…
Who are you?
[] What is your name?
[] What sign were you born under?
- [] The Apprentice
- [] The Atronach
- [] The Lady
- [] The Lord
- [] The Lover
- [] The Mage
- [] The Ritual
- [] The Serpent
- [] The Shadow
- [] The Steed
- [] The Thief
- [] The Tower
- [] The Warrior
[] What would you consider your greatest skill?
- [] You are incredibly strong.
- [] You are incredibly quick.
- [] You are incredibly smart.
Last edited by Rhomeo; 10-23-2015 at 12:49 PM.
-
As you stare deeper into the pool, you feel your entire history change. Memories of practising with a katana with parents you don't recognise, learning about a land that's definitely not the one you grew up in – even being told you were born on a different day.
Trait gained!
Born under The Lady (+10 to all social rolls so long as the other person is willing to talk, +10 to saving rolls): Those born under The Lady are kind and tolerant.
Naturally Intelligent (+20 to all learning/training rolls, -20 to all martial rolls): A lover of books and learning, but ask you to swing a sword…
Skill gained!
History of Akavir: Mediocre (0/100)
Culture of Akavir: Mediocre (0/100)
Still confused, you press down on the damp ground to push yourself up. It's strange, looking at the world from the perspective of a child. A quick check of your belongings confirms that you're missing most of your things, bar… the rock? What a cruel twist of fate. Shoving it back into your pocket, you start to pad your way towards the exit.
Or you would, if someone wasn't blocking your way.
“L-Liss?” you stammer.
“I guess I shouldn't be calling you Swims-In-Deep any more,” she laughs, patting you on the head.
What really surprises you isn't that she's responding to you… but that she's still the same size. No, she's exactly the same.
What happened?
“I'm guessing you're questioning what happened, right?” she smiles, almost reading your thoughts.
“Well, yeah.”
“My Mother sent you back.”
You have a double-take.
“That's your Mother?” you exclaim.
“Mm-hmm, she sent you back 3 years so you can prepare for what's going to happen. I guess she likes you.”
“But-”
“You'll learn about it in time,” Liss shakes her head. “But this is hardly the place to talk. Come with me, we've got a long way to go.”
[] Go with her?
[] No, you can't.
[] Write-in.
-
“No.”
“No?”
“I can't go with you until you explain what's going on,” you huff, standing in place.
“It's because you have a destiny to fulfil,” she starts, staring straight through you. “That's what Mama told me, anyway. She said I should take care of you and make sure you live long enough to get to the end.”
“… but wasn't I supposed to help you look for her?”
“You still are. I see her in my dreams every night, I talk to her, I laugh with her – but it isn't her right here with me. That's what I want. Is that too much to ask?”
It's a simple request from a child, you surmise. So, you decide; no that isn't too much to ask. To spend time with your Mother, whether or not she's some Godlike entity. That does beg the question of what exactly Liss is, but you decide to leave that for now.
“Alright, so I have a destiny. To do what, exactly?”
“That… that I don't know,” she shrugs apologetically. “All I know is you'll have to be ready. Hopefully you can shape your own fate well enough by then.”
A feeling not dissimilar to running water washes over you, leaving you feeling… refreshed.
Prepared for whatever may come.
Destiny Points gained!
+50
Trait changed!
? (Can choose to dream, increasing ?): Do you dream, child?
“Now let's go.”
You and Liss make your way out into the Skyrim wilderness, but it quickly becomes apparent that you need a game plan. Liss seems to want to take you somewhere, but you could probably convince her to take you somewhere else if you tried hard enough.
[] Go along with Liss for now.
[] Try and convince her to take you to one of the Major Holds. (Which one?)
-
Content to let the girl take you, the pair of you trek right through the marsh and continue heading East. It quickly becomes apparent that wherever you're going is nowhere you've been before, as the snows get high enough that you find it hard to walk. Luckily there's no storms, nor are there are any attacks from wildlife. Liss barely even seems to notice, so focused on the path set out in her mind. It all passes in silence, even as the sun begins its eventual descent towards the horizon.
You just think of opening your mouth when a column of smoke catches your eye in the distance. A few minutes later and it's revealed to be coming from a chimney of… a keep? A ruined fort, from a distance, but as you close in you realise it's anything but. People move on the battlements, fitted with what seems to be leather armour and bows slung over their chests. If you didn't know any better, you'd say they were bandits.
But Liss continued to walk forward confidently, so you couldn't quite believe that.
There's a lot of shouting as the pair of you move through the archway. It doesn't seem aggressive, but the few words you catch have you realise that these people don't know who you are. You or Liss. This effect is only compounded when an aging Imperial man approaches the pair of you, flanked by a disturbingly large gold-furred Khajiit and a petite Breton woman. The pair flanking the man seem on edge, the woman's hand clutching at her sword's hilt tightly.
“You two kids lost?” the old man cuts straight to the chase, eyes flitting between you and Liss. “Can't offer you safe passage to wherever it is you're going, but if you need to have a look at some maps-”
“Is this the Free Fort?” Liss cuts him off.
He seems visibly shaken and the woman even inches her sword out of its sheath.
“It is, what business do you have here?”
“We want to join you.”
That definitely shocked them. A few people who had been listening in started to laugh, but a sharp glare from the man cut them off.
“And why should I allow that?”
“Because we have nowhere else to go. You wouldn't turn down an Akavir, would you?”
“An Akavir, don't be silly girl, you're no Akavir,” he smirks, waving his hand dismissively.
“Not me; him.”
All eyes turn to you. Under the weight of so many trained glares you feel yourself shrink a little, but you still manage to stand tall. Figuratively, of course.
“He's certainly no Imperial… hmm. You know what you're getting into asking this of me, girl?”
“Of course, Mama told me to come here,” she explains. “If I ever needed a place to stay, the Free Folk were the only choice for someone like me.”
The Free Folk? That was a name you recognised from your sellsword days. Another life, maybe, but the memories were still fresh. They were a group of bandits, apparently. Very good, too.
That complicated things.
[] Go along with whatever it is Liss is planning.
[] Tell Liss you can't do this, you're no bandit.
[] Write-in.
-
“Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but who are the Free Folk, exactly?” you question, definitely interrupting the conversation.
Once again, all eyes turn on you. Whereas before they'd been inquisitive, now they were just… well, stares.
“You went along with this girl not knowing who we were?” the elder frowns, eyes glancing between you. “What sort of trust is that in kids your age?”
“I saved her life, so her saving mine should be normal, right?”
A wave of silence goes over the group.
“I see. Well, you want to know who we are? Most call us bandits and we take that moniker with pride; it's better than the alternative. We're rebels, against the Nords. We believe their way of going about things is archaic and should be changed to better suit everyone.”
“You have groups in places like the Summerset Isles too, right?” Liss cuts in, apparently very knowledgeable on the subject.
“Indeed girl,” the man manages a quick smile in her direction. “That's our biggest group and with a fair few people backing it to boot. This one is entirely self-sufficient, but we have the right people to make it work. Hence why if you want to join we can't really turn you away, so long as you understand our cause. It's a good thing you asked, or you might have thought we were actual bandits, eh?”
Rebels… well, that doesn't entirely conflict with your moral code. But it does remind you of a promise you made to a specific High King. Considering you're backwards in time, you're pretty sure that Torygg's Father is still alive.
“Are you planning on killing the High King?” you venture cautiously.
“Eight Divines, what do you take us for?” the woman at the elder's side speaks up, glaring at you. “We arm ourselves because we must, not because we want to. All we ask is that the Nords take up a democratic system and respect the common people, rather than ponce around in their longhouses.”
“That's quite enough, Aleri,” the man cuts her off. “She speaks the truth, we don't intend to turn this into a War – we'd lose after all. We want to inform the common people and go from there. Do you want to be a part of this?”
Liss looks at you with an expectant glance. She's leaving it up to you?
Well…
[] Accept.
[] Decline.
-
“Alright, I accept,” you admit, raising your hands.
“Then I do too,” Liss chimes, beaming.
“I'm glad, otherwise we'd have to keep you under lock and key,” the old man jokes.
For some reason, you don't actually think he's joking.
Relationship gained!
Ennav Endimius (Acquaintance, +5 to social rolls with Ennav)
Do'zahr (Ambivalent)
Aleri Gansley (Disliked, -10 to social rolls with Aleri)
Free Folk (Unknown)
As the old man leads you into the fort proper, you can't help but marvel at how big it all is. From the outside everything looks like a decrepit old building, but on the inside? Through the main doors were a single flight of stairs and a giant underground dome. Multiple pathways branched off in all directions, but the man takes you down one directly to your left. You note that most of the architecture and metal hint at this being Dwarven-make. A stronghold disguised, perhaps?
Your thoughts are cut off as you move into what you can only assume are living quarters, with bunk beds scattered all over the place. There are a few people sleeping and others sitting around a table, all different races. You'd noticed most of the men on the walls were Nordic, but the people in here didn't look like fighters. Just… people.
“There's a set of beds in the far back that's not claimed,” Ennav states, folding his arms. “Unfortunately we don't have the space to accommodate you your own room… yet. We're still in the progress of expanding.”
Wait.
“You built all this?” you sputter, looking around.
“Not me personally, but this is all new structural work. We have a rather excellent engineer working on it night and day, be sure to introduce yourself when you get the chance.”
With a slight wave, he turns and leaves. He's probably got far more important matters to worry about, so you don't run after him with questions. Liss, however, looks at you expectantly. Shrugging, you leave the room with her in tow. It doesn't take long to get back to the Dome with its branching paths. Now…
[] Go down the one with a hammer sign on the top.
[] Go down the one with a flask sign on the top.
[] Go down the one with a wolf sign on the top.
[] Go down the one with a man sign on the top.
-
As you go down the hallway it quickly becomes apparent that the artificial lighting set on the walls is growing dimmer and dimmer. What started out as a warm yellow light morphs into a dark red, barely giving you enough light to continue the march onward. Just as you consider giving up, you and Liss come out into a room with an impossibly high ceiling. At first you're confused, but as you turn to look back you come to the realisation that you'd been walking downhill the entire time.
With one question solved, you cast a critical glare over the room. Innumerable metal benches piled up with tools, weapons and scrap goes as far as the eye can see. There's no real rhyme or reason to it and you expect the only one that would have any idea on how to navigate the room was its owner.
Which was nowhere to be found.
Liss sticks close to your back as you peer towards the back of the room, but a particularly large pile of junk blocks your view. Just as you're about to try and peek around it, the sound of a door slamming open causes you to jump. Your eyes track the noise, which lead you to turn around completely. Set into the wall by the entrance to the room is a single door, which leads into an even darker room. Standing in it is…
“Newcomers? Welcome!” a particularly… curvaceous Orcish woman greets you, grinning all the while. “Didn't hear about you lot, so you must be volunteers. Come to help me with my work?”
“Ah, well-”
“Oh, no matter. The name's Yazgar, resident engineer and smith. You got something that needs fixing, you come to me; it'd be better than all this other work they pile on me. Can you believe they expect one person to write up all the plans for future expansion in this place? Ridiculous!”
You open your mouth to say something, but eventually close it when you realise you have no idea what to say to that.
“That reminds me, I have a lot of work to do today! Shoo now, before I end up boring you to death.”
And with that, the door slams once again – leaving you and Liss alone in the giant room. You turn to the girl, who simply shrugs.
What a strange woman.
Relationship gained!
Yazgar (Acquaintance, +5 to social rolls with Yazgar): She didn't catch your name – she doesn't know who you are!
Eventually, you and Liss find yourself back in the main dome. You think you have enough time to explore one more route before nightfall.
[] Go down the one with a hammer sign on the top.
[] Go down the one with a flask sign on the top.
[] Go down the one with a wolf sign on the top.
[] Go down the one with a man sign on the top.
-
As you and Liss make your way down the wolf tunnel it's obvious how different it is to the other. While the lights don't change, the pathway does. You hadn't noticed on your entry, but it's noticeably wider and has small piles of hay here and there along the sides. As before, it ends in a giant room – except this one couldn't be more different.
There's no roof, instead having the dome open up to the sky. Little light comes in due to the time, so you have to rely on the numerous Dwemer devices to look around. There are at least a half dozen stables scattered about, all likely for different kinds of animals. Apart from the few horses in the nearest one, though, it all seems rather empty. A lone figure is working in one of the empty pens, so you and Liss exchange a quiet look before making your way over.
“Ah, hello?” you call out, hoping to catch the man's attention.
He physically jumps before turning, his eyes wide.
“Eight Divines, don't scare me like that!” he yells. “Oh, wait.”
His eyes look you and Liss over before he almost physically shrinks.
“I don't know you.”
“Ah, no we're new here,” you explain. “I'm Sahlos and this is Liss, we're-”
“I'm Dandre,” he interrupts, turning back to his work. “If you wouldn't mind, I have a lot of things to do before nightfall, so could you just leave me be?”
Ah, looks like you hadn't really made a good impression.
Relationship gained!
Dandre Gansley (Irritated, -5 to social rolls with Dandre)
All is quiet when you and Liss return to the barracks. Most of the other people in the room are already sleeping, making you think that everyone was on a tight work frame. Not wanting to seem irresponsible, you and Liss quickly head to your beds as well. It's a simple bunk frame, to which Liss insists you sleep on the top mattress. You don't think to ask her why as you slip under the simple sheet and close your eyes.
You have a dreamless sleep, much to your relief. Liss is still asleep as you drop down to ground level, but before you can wake her the Breton woman from yesterday taps you on the shoulder.
“Ennav wants to see you,” she states simply. “Alone.”
Before you can ask anything, she takes you by the shoulder and pulls you out of the room. Well, you can only hope that Liss doesn't wake up before you get back. You're brought to the main dome, where Ennav is standing by with a small group of people. A couple of faces you recognise – Yazgar and Dandre, while the other two are a mystery to you. As soon as you're close enough to talk, the woman lets go and pushes you forward a little before taking a step back.
“Thank you, Aleri,” Ennav nods courteously before turning his attention to you. “You, what was your name again?”
“Sahlos, sir.”
“Sir?” the older man chuckles. “Well, it could be worse. After giving it some thought I decided against putting you into the usual labour. These four have been hounding me for an assistant a piece since we started up here and you're young enough to learn. Because you've been a good lad up till' now, I'll even let you choose.”
Choose? As in-
“This here is Yazgar,” he starts with the curvaceous Orc from yesterday. “She's our resident engineer and smith, looking for an apprentice to do the simple stuff so she can focus on the big projects. Next up is Dandre, needs a stable hand to take care of the animals while he focuses on training them.”
Next up, then, are the people you don't know.
“This is Shabael,” he moves to a hooded man's side. “He's our… intrigue specialist, wants someone to deal with the paperwork and learn the ropes. More hands on the others, might even give you a chance to leave the fort on business with him.”
You catch that the man's skin is ashen and his eyes deep red as he nods to you; a Dunmer.
“Lastly, here's Erissa. She's our research and development, responsible for getting all this Dwemer machinery up and running. A total genius, one-of-a-kind.”
“Please, you're flattering me,” she smiles at him, then at you. You notice her pointed ears and fair skin. An Elf, but… which kind?
“You'd be helping her with her research in whatever way she deems fit. She'd probably be able to tell you more after you choose.”
Well, you have a choice to make.
[] Become a Smith's Apprentice under Yazgar.
[] Become a Stable Hand under Dandre.
[] Become a personal assistant to Shabael.
[] Become a research assistant to Erissa.
[] Suggest that you could do something else. (Write-in)
-
“I'd like to become a research assistant to Erissa,” you say after some thought, nodding. “I've always liked Dwemer technology, this could be pretty fun.”
The other three candidates all seem to slump, but Erissa brightens noticeably. Looks like they'd all been wanting someone more than they'd been letting on.
“Well, now that that's settled, show him the labs,” Ennav waves his hand. “Rest of you, you've got things to do. I'll keep an eye out for other people to work for you, I know that girl that came with the boy is a good candidate...”
Relationship gained!
Erissa (Interested, +10 to social rolls with Erissa): There's something about her that's… rather strange. Dwemer Engineering (Legendary), Dwemer History (Impressive), Magical Theory (Elite).
Shabael (Ambivalent)
Dandre Gansley (Disliked, -10 to social rolls with Dandre)
Yazgar (Ambivalent)
Of all the things you notice on the path towards the laboratories is that it's unusually cold. Even with the now blue light, that's all you can focus on. Erissa notices your discomfort rather early on, patting you on the shoulder.
“I'll give you a coat when we arrive,” she apologises. “It's necessary for the tools I'm working with.”
“You don't work with forges and smelters?” you question, thinking back on your few experiences with smithing.
As she starts laughing, you feel as though you've said something stupid.
“Not quite. I managed to repair a few Dwemer devices that have… helped speed things up considerably. I tried to convince that Yazgar to use a few of them, but she's stuck in her ways. With you helping out I think we could go places!”
She doesn't have a chance to say anything else as you exit out into the lab's main chamber. Your breath catches in your throat as your eyes try to take everything in.
It's…
Amazing.
You'd rarely seen Dwemer ruins before this, but you can't imagine they'd look better than this room. Remnants of creations were scattered around, taking away from the overall aesthetic – but set into the walls and scattered here and there…
“I brought my life's work with me,” she explains, walking forward with her hands clasped behind her back. “I've made so many of these constructs that it's second nature to me now. My parents… were very insistent that I learn young.”
“Wait, you said made, so you…?”
“Most of these are made from scratch, yes.”
“Wow,” is all you can manage.
Now you understood why Ennav called the woman a genius. She simply shakes her head and smiles, though. As if… as if it was natural for her to be this way. You weren't sure if that counted as being humble or secretly bragging, though.
“Now, as Ennav said you'll be assisting me with my research. I have no particular field I need assistance with more than the others, so please take your pick.”
You imagine that whatever you choose will end up being what you learn the most about.
[] Help Erissa in constructing new machinery from scratch.
[] Help Erissa in drawing up plans and any other paperwork that's needed.
[] Help Erissa in imbuing and altering the constructs with magic.
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