Please Use Threadmarks to find the Revised Chapters.
A Walk through the Planes (Multiverse Planeswalker SI).
- Thread starter Kolarthecool
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Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Please Use Threadmarks to find the Revised Chapters.
X/X = Power/Toughness.
Power - weight based
0: Below Human (can't lift own body weight).
1: Average human (can lift own body weight).
2: Athlete (Up to double of body weight).
3: Specific Athlete (Up to 400 lbs).
4: Peak Human (Up to 800 lbs).
5-8: Superhuman (Anywhere from 800 lbs to 50 tons).
9: Godlike (Anywhere from 50 tons to 100 tons).
10+: Conceptual Entity (no weight limits).
Toughness
0: Below Human (Durability of cloth, no healing)
1: Average Human (Average healing and durability).
2: Peak Human (Slightly higher durability and healing).
3: Metahuman (Durability of thick wood, maybe accelerated healing).
4: Superhuman (Durability of stone, might have regeneration).
5-8: Demigod (Durability of various metals, might have accelerated regeneration).
9: Godlike (Almost indestructible, might have instant regeneration).
10+: Conceptual Entity (Indestructible, invulnerable).
Haste: Can run up to 120 km/h.
Trample: Can charge through enemies without slowing or stopping.
Flying: Can fly.
Deathtouch: Infects those it touches with a deadly disease.
Lifesteal: Damages target to heal self.
Lifelink: Damages target to heal others.
Regenerate: can be brought back to life with mana infusion.
Ethereal: Can't be harmed by physical damage.
Power - weight based
0: Below Human (can't lift own body weight).
1: Average human (can lift own body weight).
2: Athlete (Up to double of body weight).
3: Specific Athlete (Up to 400 lbs).
4: Peak Human (Up to 800 lbs).
5-8: Superhuman (Anywhere from 800 lbs to 50 tons).
9: Godlike (Anywhere from 50 tons to 100 tons).
10+: Conceptual Entity (no weight limits).
Toughness
0: Below Human (Durability of cloth, no healing)
1: Average Human (Average healing and durability).
2: Peak Human (Slightly higher durability and healing).
3: Metahuman (Durability of thick wood, maybe accelerated healing).
4: Superhuman (Durability of stone, might have regeneration).
5-8: Demigod (Durability of various metals, might have accelerated regeneration).
9: Godlike (Almost indestructible, might have instant regeneration).
10+: Conceptual Entity (Indestructible, invulnerable).
Haste: Can run up to 120 km/h.
Trample: Can charge through enemies without slowing or stopping.
Flying: Can fly.
Deathtouch: Infects those it touches with a deadly disease.
Lifesteal: Damages target to heal self.
Lifelink: Damages target to heal others.
Regenerate: can be brought back to life with mana infusion.
Ethereal: Can't be harmed by physical damage.
"Fuck!" I curse, diving behind cover as an arrow whizzes by overhead. "Why do these things keep happening to me?"
Peeking around the boulder I was using for cover, I curse again as I spy the trio of attackers slowly moving to surround my hiding place.
The first was a large, dark haired man in some sort of hide armor and wielding an intimidating war hammer. The weapon was held in a steady position as the man moved to flank me from the right, his eyes locked on my position and his whole body tensed to move at any moment.
The second of the group was a shifty, thin fellow with pointy ears, coal colored skin and blood red eyes, this one was clearly inhuman but I'd had plenty of time to get used to the many races of this world. More importantly was the notched longbow in his hands, which he was keeping peeled on my position and waiting for any chance to fire.
The third and final member of the troupe was a blonde, blue-eyed woman in flowing long robes, an orb of glowing ice hovering above each hand. Unless I miss my guess, this woman is a mage and earlier experience has shown that mages are not to be trifled with.
'Just great, who the hell did I piss off to have a trio of bounty hunters on my case?' I wonder, ducking back behind cover asthe archer moved his bow towards my peeking head. 'Then again, who haven't I pissed off since coming to this place.'
For someone to go to all the trouble of paying three experienced, and probably expensive, warriors to hunt down and kill little old me, well.. I must have rightly pissed them off. Then again, seeing how I've easily handled the last fewindividuals sent after me, they must have felt that a group had a greater chance of taking me out.
They were right. Or they would be if I was just the average man, heck, if I was just an average mage this group could still take me out.
Unfortunately for these three and their employer, I happen to be beyond the ken of mortal men.
Hello all, my chosen name is Bastion andI am a Planeswalker.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
So Planeswalker.. amazing right?
I completely agree.
I haven't always been one as I'm sure you can all guess, once I was a simple, bog standard human living a boring, bog standard, human life. Oh, there was some excitement in my life, a monthly game of paintball and capture the flag with friends, some LARPing whenever I found the time and a well paying 9 to 5 job at a nearby liquor store.
Not quite as exciting as I make it out to be, trust me.
Still, it was my life and I was somewhat content with it, no complaints but I did wish it was a tad better.
So imagine my surprise when one day, a Wednesday if I recall, I trudge my way home from work, collapse onto the couch and boot up my PlayStation 3 for some time playing Skyrim. That wasn't the surprise however, the surprise was the loud creaking and cracking coming from my ceiling, not to mention the plasterraining down on me.
I remember looking away from my game and looking up, I remember seeing a large crack stretching across the ceiling and I clearly remember a spike of pain around my neck followed by a stroking heat building up in my chest. The next thing I know, I'm waking up on a muddy lakeside, warm sunlight beating on my back and my head throbbing painfully.
There was a moment of confusion before knowledge previously unknown appeared in my mind.
And thank god for that or I would be completely lost and confused.
Now, I wouldn't quite call it telepathic sharing memory but the knowledge had definitely come from some other being and I could almost feel it flowing from the spark of power burning in my chest.
Somehow, someway, I'd died and in the midst of that death my dormant spark had ignited, changing me from a regular human into a Planeswalker. This was definitely a surprise as everything I know about Planeswalker says that they're fictional, but then again that's the multiverse for you, one mans fiction is another's reality.
Also against what I know, becoming a Planeswalker actually comes with some ingrained knowledge, a safety feature to avoid stumbling around and being shredded in the Blind Eternities. Makes sense since I'm sure most baby Walkers would be confused after igniting, providing the knowledge seems like a good idea.
As for that knowledge, well..
First off, Planeswalker's don't just grab hold of their spark and Walk, that would get you killed. You actually have to pull the energy out from the spark, surround yourself with it and then Walk, using the energy field to protect your mind and body from the savage insanity of the space between planes.
Even better was that the Walking is almost instinctive, if I had an inkling of what sort of plane I want to visit, my spark can guide me there. This means I can actually visit any plane that I once considered fictional, I'm definitely going to exploit that for all it's worth.
Secondly, there's the land claiming, the form of magic most popularly associated with Planeswalkers. I was glad to see that all those Fanfictions were wrong and it doesn't take a full week or more to claim a land, instead I just have to spend a day or two soaking the land with the energy of my spark before latching on and claiming it.
Unfortunately, lands do affect the mental state of the owner but it takes a large number of them before the contamination becomes a problem, that's something I don't have to worry about for some time though since I can only hold twenty lands at most.
Yup, you heard right.
Turns out that a newly awakened spark is balls at power management, which limits me to twenty land 'cards' in my 'deck'. The only good news there is that the spark grows overtime so I can hold more and more land as I age, which explains why older Planeswalkers are so damn terrifying.
Lastly, ignoring my new talent with languages and magic at least, is my summoning power. I can now retrieve and memorize the essence and patterns of both beings and items, allowing me to recreate them with my own mana as long as I have enough lands to 'tap'.
Now, I don't think I can stress this enough, 'retrieve and memorize the essence and patterns of both beings and items'. You're saying 'so what' right? Well this power works on all beings and items if I can get my hands on them.
That includes Gods, Kaiju, Noble Phantasms and even advanced technology; if I can get my hands on it, I can recreate it.
Damn.. no wonder entire pantheons of gods worship Planeswalkers.
All this information and more unspools in my mind within seconds of waking, so I'm sure I can be forgiven for groaning and passing back out.
Info dumps can be a bitch.
Peeking around the boulder I was using for cover, I curse again as I spy the trio of attackers slowly moving to surround my hiding place.
The first was a large, dark haired man in some sort of hide armor and wielding an intimidating war hammer. The weapon was held in a steady position as the man moved to flank me from the right, his eyes locked on my position and his whole body tensed to move at any moment.
The second of the group was a shifty, thin fellow with pointy ears, coal colored skin and blood red eyes, this one was clearly inhuman but I'd had plenty of time to get used to the many races of this world. More importantly was the notched longbow in his hands, which he was keeping peeled on my position and waiting for any chance to fire.
The third and final member of the troupe was a blonde, blue-eyed woman in flowing long robes, an orb of glowing ice hovering above each hand. Unless I miss my guess, this woman is a mage and earlier experience has shown that mages are not to be trifled with.
'Just great, who the hell did I piss off to have a trio of bounty hunters on my case?' I wonder, ducking back behind cover asthe archer moved his bow towards my peeking head. 'Then again, who haven't I pissed off since coming to this place.'
For someone to go to all the trouble of paying three experienced, and probably expensive, warriors to hunt down and kill little old me, well.. I must have rightly pissed them off. Then again, seeing how I've easily handled the last fewindividuals sent after me, they must have felt that a group had a greater chance of taking me out.
They were right. Or they would be if I was just the average man, heck, if I was just an average mage this group could still take me out.
Unfortunately for these three and their employer, I happen to be beyond the ken of mortal men.
Hello all, my chosen name is Bastion andI am a Planeswalker.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
So Planeswalker.. amazing right?
I completely agree.
I haven't always been one as I'm sure you can all guess, once I was a simple, bog standard human living a boring, bog standard, human life. Oh, there was some excitement in my life, a monthly game of paintball and capture the flag with friends, some LARPing whenever I found the time and a well paying 9 to 5 job at a nearby liquor store.
Not quite as exciting as I make it out to be, trust me.
Still, it was my life and I was somewhat content with it, no complaints but I did wish it was a tad better.
So imagine my surprise when one day, a Wednesday if I recall, I trudge my way home from work, collapse onto the couch and boot up my PlayStation 3 for some time playing Skyrim. That wasn't the surprise however, the surprise was the loud creaking and cracking coming from my ceiling, not to mention the plasterraining down on me.
I remember looking away from my game and looking up, I remember seeing a large crack stretching across the ceiling and I clearly remember a spike of pain around my neck followed by a stroking heat building up in my chest. The next thing I know, I'm waking up on a muddy lakeside, warm sunlight beating on my back and my head throbbing painfully.
There was a moment of confusion before knowledge previously unknown appeared in my mind.
And thank god for that or I would be completely lost and confused.
Now, I wouldn't quite call it telepathic sharing memory but the knowledge had definitely come from some other being and I could almost feel it flowing from the spark of power burning in my chest.
Somehow, someway, I'd died and in the midst of that death my dormant spark had ignited, changing me from a regular human into a Planeswalker. This was definitely a surprise as everything I know about Planeswalker says that they're fictional, but then again that's the multiverse for you, one mans fiction is another's reality.
Also against what I know, becoming a Planeswalker actually comes with some ingrained knowledge, a safety feature to avoid stumbling around and being shredded in the Blind Eternities. Makes sense since I'm sure most baby Walkers would be confused after igniting, providing the knowledge seems like a good idea.
As for that knowledge, well..
First off, Planeswalker's don't just grab hold of their spark and Walk, that would get you killed. You actually have to pull the energy out from the spark, surround yourself with it and then Walk, using the energy field to protect your mind and body from the savage insanity of the space between planes.
Even better was that the Walking is almost instinctive, if I had an inkling of what sort of plane I want to visit, my spark can guide me there. This means I can actually visit any plane that I once considered fictional, I'm definitely going to exploit that for all it's worth.
Secondly, there's the land claiming, the form of magic most popularly associated with Planeswalkers. I was glad to see that all those Fanfictions were wrong and it doesn't take a full week or more to claim a land, instead I just have to spend a day or two soaking the land with the energy of my spark before latching on and claiming it.
Unfortunately, lands do affect the mental state of the owner but it takes a large number of them before the contamination becomes a problem, that's something I don't have to worry about for some time though since I can only hold twenty lands at most.
Yup, you heard right.
Turns out that a newly awakened spark is balls at power management, which limits me to twenty land 'cards' in my 'deck'. The only good news there is that the spark grows overtime so I can hold more and more land as I age, which explains why older Planeswalkers are so damn terrifying.
Lastly, ignoring my new talent with languages and magic at least, is my summoning power. I can now retrieve and memorize the essence and patterns of both beings and items, allowing me to recreate them with my own mana as long as I have enough lands to 'tap'.
Now, I don't think I can stress this enough, 'retrieve and memorize the essence and patterns of both beings and items'. You're saying 'so what' right? Well this power works on all beings and items if I can get my hands on them.
That includes Gods, Kaiju, Noble Phantasms and even advanced technology; if I can get my hands on it, I can recreate it.
Damn.. no wonder entire pantheons of gods worship Planeswalkers.
All this information and more unspools in my mind within seconds of waking, so I'm sure I can be forgiven for groaning and passing back out.
Info dumps can be a bitch.
Last edited:
Lord Platypus
Probably Not a Real Platypus
- Location
- Smelling your hair
I read a few of your FFNet works, and I think The Easy Way is on my favorites list on my old account. This looks like it will be awesome.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Chapter One.
When I next woke, the sun had traveled some distance across the sky and there was water lapping at my feet.
"Oh god, my head." I groan, rolling over and sitting up. "Shit, that's a big lake."
And it was, I appeared to be sitting on the muddy beach of a large, misty lake with three small land forms floating out in the distance, beyond that was a large forest stretching into the far distance. It was quite the beautiful sight if you go for that sort of thing, I was more concerned about waking up in the middle of nowhere.
To be honest, I might have tried talking myself into believing this was all some sort of dream but even my most memorable dreams aren't this vivid and I would never consider it to be a dream while I was still dreaming.
So, yeah... Planeswalker.
"Huh, cool." I shrug, standing from the ground and frowning at my muddy clothes. "Well, I did ask for more excitement in my life."
Oh, I may sound calm and collected but I think that's the shock speaking, I'm sure I'll have a nice ole freak-out later. For now, lets see about finding some civilization before something in that forest decides to eat me.
Turning to look around, I was relieved to find a natural dirt road a few meters away, the end of which led to a large, walled city in the distance. Luckily the city didn't look too far off, my transition had brought my socks and slippers with me but they weren't really made for a long hike.
"Uhh... that place looks mighty familiar."
And it did, mostly because I'd just been traveling there before all of this happened, and by that I mean my ingame character. Unless I miss my guess, my awakened spark had latched onto the first location on my mind at the time and taken me to Skyrim, or Riften to be more specific.
"Right, Skyrim.." I mutter, trudging towards Riften. "It could be worse."
And isn't that just the truth, the Daedra may be problem for a baby Walker but they're not as omniscient as they would have their followers believe so I should be fine as long as I avoid drawing their attention, same goes for the Aedra.
Heck, with all the people carrying weapons and wielding magic in this place, I'd better just keep my head down and avoid drawing any sort of attention.
Dangerous or not, at least I didn't end up in Warhammer 40k, chaos would have shredded and devoured my soul before I had time to wake up.
'Alright, Skyrim.. what can I do here?' I wonder as I continue along the road.
Now, I know I should probably be concerned with getting home and seeing my friends and family again but Adventure!. I'm all for the safety and familiarity of my home plane but Planeswalker, I'm potentialy immortal if I can find a method to extend my natural lifespan, also I can go anywhere I want and do anything I want.
That's not the kind of thing you can just ignore, I cant just go back to my mediocre job and boring old life. Better to cut everything lose now and embrace this new life, especially when everyone I get attached to will eventually die of old age, leaving me to spend centuries brooding and mourning. Down that path lies the emo and I want to avoid that as much as possible, I've been blessed with near ultimate power, I'm going to enjoy myself with this.
That means no getting too attached to anyone in the future, no involving myself in matters unless I want to and definitely no taking responsibility for my actions. No way am I getting guilted into taking care of a civilization for eternity, poor, poor Winter.
It must say good things about me that I have no interest in ruling over anyone right? Right.
"Halt stranger, what is your business here?" A voice calls out, drawing me from my thoughts.
Looks like I managed to cover the distance to Riften while contemplating my future, better do less of that and pay more attention to my surroundings.
Also thank -God? Bolas? The Spark?- whoever that these people speak English, I may be able to pick up new languages with ease but it's probably best not to do so whilst mid conversation with a guard that might just mistake you for a bandit and end you.
"Ah, hello." I greet, stopping some distance from the gate and the two guardsmen standing in front of it. "I'm here to do some shopping?"
The two guards share a look before one snorts.
"You got some gold to shop with boy?" the guard to my left asks, looking me up and down.
'Boy?' I muse in annoyance, I'm twenty-four years old, there's no way I look young enough to be called 'boy' so he must have meant it as an insult.
Eh whatever, I can take issue when I don't need to get past the burly armed men in thick armor. How am I even going to do that anyways? I definitely don't have any gold on me so I cant bribe my way past like in the game, also I'm just a regular guy in mud stained clothes, no way I can intimidate my way past.
Best I just lie my ass off, at least the mud helps to hide the foreign materials and designs of my jeans and shirt.
"Er, just enough for some clothes and a room at the inn." I reply, looking downtrodden. "I ran into some bandits on my way here, lost my pack and barely managed to escape with the clothes on my back and few coins in my pocket."
They shared another look at that, wish I could see past those weird helmets of theirs.
"Where were these bandits?" The second guard asks, turning back to me. "The Jarl will want to know."
Crap.
Alright, I've spent the last week or so playing this area and while I was mostly focused on the Thief's Guild quests, I'm sure I can remember something believable. Pretty sure I came up from the south, the lake was off to the left and I didn't pass any stables, what do I remember that's south of Riften?
Oh!
"It was just past the Shadow Stone sir, I think they have some sort of camp in the mountains." I reply, I remember doing a quest down there in the game and there had been some bandits in a cave in the area.
That seems to be the right answer as one of the guards nods and steps away from the small door attached to the large gate.
"That matches with what we know, head on in citizen and welcome to Riften."
Nodding and holding in my relieved sigh, I walk past the two guards and move to head into the city, only to pause as one of the guards grabs me by the arm.
"Whats your name by the way, need it for the records in case you cause trouble or end up floating in the river." the guard asks.
Well, isn't that just a cheerful message. Still, if he's gonna initiate contact... well, better get into some good habits.
"Oh uh, Bastion sir, Bastion of Riverwood." I immediately answer.
Names have power on some planes so I'm definitely not going to be giving out my real name, even if this wasn't one of those planes. Luckily, I was already thinking of my game character, that gave me a ready made name and I just had to pull a random town to tack on.
The guard nods and as he starts to let go, I focus on my spark and instinctively guide the warmth to my arm, flowing along the physical connection and latching on to something deep within him.
Pattern obtained.
Nice, got me some human guards even if I don't have the lands to summon them. I could feel the pattern floating at the back of my mind, it wasn't intrusive or anything so I could ignore it but I just knew that with the addition of some Mana, I could have my own armored and armed soldier.
Neat.
I can focus on that later though, for now Riften awaits...
Or it waits until tomorrow at least, I have no money, no food and nowhere to sleep, this isn't the time to be exploring.
When I next woke, the sun had traveled some distance across the sky and there was water lapping at my feet.
"Oh god, my head." I groan, rolling over and sitting up. "Shit, that's a big lake."
And it was, I appeared to be sitting on the muddy beach of a large, misty lake with three small land forms floating out in the distance, beyond that was a large forest stretching into the far distance. It was quite the beautiful sight if you go for that sort of thing, I was more concerned about waking up in the middle of nowhere.
To be honest, I might have tried talking myself into believing this was all some sort of dream but even my most memorable dreams aren't this vivid and I would never consider it to be a dream while I was still dreaming.
So, yeah... Planeswalker.
"Huh, cool." I shrug, standing from the ground and frowning at my muddy clothes. "Well, I did ask for more excitement in my life."
Oh, I may sound calm and collected but I think that's the shock speaking, I'm sure I'll have a nice ole freak-out later. For now, lets see about finding some civilization before something in that forest decides to eat me.
Turning to look around, I was relieved to find a natural dirt road a few meters away, the end of which led to a large, walled city in the distance. Luckily the city didn't look too far off, my transition had brought my socks and slippers with me but they weren't really made for a long hike.
"Uhh... that place looks mighty familiar."
And it did, mostly because I'd just been traveling there before all of this happened, and by that I mean my ingame character. Unless I miss my guess, my awakened spark had latched onto the first location on my mind at the time and taken me to Skyrim, or Riften to be more specific.
"Right, Skyrim.." I mutter, trudging towards Riften. "It could be worse."
And isn't that just the truth, the Daedra may be problem for a baby Walker but they're not as omniscient as they would have their followers believe so I should be fine as long as I avoid drawing their attention, same goes for the Aedra.
Heck, with all the people carrying weapons and wielding magic in this place, I'd better just keep my head down and avoid drawing any sort of attention.
Dangerous or not, at least I didn't end up in Warhammer 40k, chaos would have shredded and devoured my soul before I had time to wake up.
'Alright, Skyrim.. what can I do here?' I wonder as I continue along the road.
Now, I know I should probably be concerned with getting home and seeing my friends and family again but Adventure!. I'm all for the safety and familiarity of my home plane but Planeswalker, I'm potentialy immortal if I can find a method to extend my natural lifespan, also I can go anywhere I want and do anything I want.
That's not the kind of thing you can just ignore, I cant just go back to my mediocre job and boring old life. Better to cut everything lose now and embrace this new life, especially when everyone I get attached to will eventually die of old age, leaving me to spend centuries brooding and mourning. Down that path lies the emo and I want to avoid that as much as possible, I've been blessed with near ultimate power, I'm going to enjoy myself with this.
That means no getting too attached to anyone in the future, no involving myself in matters unless I want to and definitely no taking responsibility for my actions. No way am I getting guilted into taking care of a civilization for eternity, poor, poor Winter.
It must say good things about me that I have no interest in ruling over anyone right? Right.
"Halt stranger, what is your business here?" A voice calls out, drawing me from my thoughts.
Looks like I managed to cover the distance to Riften while contemplating my future, better do less of that and pay more attention to my surroundings.
Also thank -God? Bolas? The Spark?- whoever that these people speak English, I may be able to pick up new languages with ease but it's probably best not to do so whilst mid conversation with a guard that might just mistake you for a bandit and end you.
"Ah, hello." I greet, stopping some distance from the gate and the two guardsmen standing in front of it. "I'm here to do some shopping?"
The two guards share a look before one snorts.
"You got some gold to shop with boy?" the guard to my left asks, looking me up and down.
'Boy?' I muse in annoyance, I'm twenty-four years old, there's no way I look young enough to be called 'boy' so he must have meant it as an insult.
Eh whatever, I can take issue when I don't need to get past the burly armed men in thick armor. How am I even going to do that anyways? I definitely don't have any gold on me so I cant bribe my way past like in the game, also I'm just a regular guy in mud stained clothes, no way I can intimidate my way past.
Best I just lie my ass off, at least the mud helps to hide the foreign materials and designs of my jeans and shirt.
"Er, just enough for some clothes and a room at the inn." I reply, looking downtrodden. "I ran into some bandits on my way here, lost my pack and barely managed to escape with the clothes on my back and few coins in my pocket."
They shared another look at that, wish I could see past those weird helmets of theirs.
"Where were these bandits?" The second guard asks, turning back to me. "The Jarl will want to know."
Crap.
Alright, I've spent the last week or so playing this area and while I was mostly focused on the Thief's Guild quests, I'm sure I can remember something believable. Pretty sure I came up from the south, the lake was off to the left and I didn't pass any stables, what do I remember that's south of Riften?
Oh!
"It was just past the Shadow Stone sir, I think they have some sort of camp in the mountains." I reply, I remember doing a quest down there in the game and there had been some bandits in a cave in the area.
That seems to be the right answer as one of the guards nods and steps away from the small door attached to the large gate.
"That matches with what we know, head on in citizen and welcome to Riften."
Nodding and holding in my relieved sigh, I walk past the two guards and move to head into the city, only to pause as one of the guards grabs me by the arm.
"Whats your name by the way, need it for the records in case you cause trouble or end up floating in the river." the guard asks.
Well, isn't that just a cheerful message. Still, if he's gonna initiate contact... well, better get into some good habits.
"Oh uh, Bastion sir, Bastion of Riverwood." I immediately answer.
Names have power on some planes so I'm definitely not going to be giving out my real name, even if this wasn't one of those planes. Luckily, I was already thinking of my game character, that gave me a ready made name and I just had to pull a random town to tack on.
The guard nods and as he starts to let go, I focus on my spark and instinctively guide the warmth to my arm, flowing along the physical connection and latching on to something deep within him.
Pattern obtained.
Nice, got me some human guards even if I don't have the lands to summon them. I could feel the pattern floating at the back of my mind, it wasn't intrusive or anything so I could ignore it but I just knew that with the addition of some Mana, I could have my own armored and armed soldier.
Neat.
I can focus on that later though, for now Riften awaits...
Or it waits until tomorrow at least, I have no money, no food and nowhere to sleep, this isn't the time to be exploring.
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Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Chapter Two.
Riften from what I can see, looks pretty much like it does in the game, just less animation and more realism. The same number of buildings, the same general layout and the same familiar looking group of people.
Huh, imagine that, wonder if the rest of this world is the same. Probably so, Nirn was artificially created by the Aedra after all.
'Holy shit that's a dark elf, that's a Khajiit and I'm pretty sure that guys an Orc.' I goggle, taking in the many nonhuman races walking through the streets.
Damn that's a shock but I really should move now, don't want to draw attention by acting weird.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I wander to an out of the way corner to just sit and... well, think some more. I really need a plan of action, I can't just go rushing into things and getting in over my head, down that way lies a quick and painful death.
Or worse, hilarious shenanigans.
-Shudder-
Right, first off I need money, tools and supplies. Not to mention food and somewhere to sleep, I don't think my apartment is all that livable right now.
Well, if I can my hands on some tools and materials, I can easily copy the patterns for later but none of that helps right now nor does it solve my food and board problem. Even if I do manage to copy some Septims, I have no lands, which means no Mana to create copies with.
Still, fear not for, as always, Fanfiction comes to my rescue. This is usually the part where the protagonist gets their hands on some gold and jewels to sell, usually by visiting a dead world or something.
Except.. unarmed and kind of tired, no way am I dropping into a zombieverse right now, especially since I can't just trust that the zombie infection wont travel with me. Yeah... not going near any of those planes until I have some viable quarantine method set up.
Guess I could just do a snatch and grab, take what I want and Walk out of the plane.... yeah, no. Even if that doesn't get me shot or shanked before I can Walk, I'm a Planeswalker with what can be likened to phenomenal cosmic power, petty theft is a bit below me I'd say.
Guess I could head home for stuff to sell, not sure what though since I don't have any gold or rare jewels just lying around to bring back and trade.
Wait a second, why does it have to be gold or jewels? This world is an analogue to earths medieval period just with magic added in, there's plenty that I can bring over to trade, heck gold isn't even that valuable in a few planes that I can name. For a medieval setting like this, I can probably make a killing with something mundane like salt and pepper, after all salt pile is considered a common item in the game but 0.2 weight -kilograms? pounds?- of it is worth two Septims.
I definitely have a decent amount of salt and spices lying around the kitchen at home, that's more than enough cooking and alchemy material for me to get by on.
'Alright, that sounds like a good plan for the short term.' I hum, nodding to myself, at least I don't have to do anything plebeian like picking berries and sleeping on the ground. 'What about the long term though?'
Long term plans for my stay in Skyrim...
Hmm, I definitely need some weapons and armor ASAP, it's a dangerous world out there and I plan to visit other planes that are just as dangerous. I should probably get some of that around here, better if I can afford to get it enchanted too.
Dropping into a high tech plane for some blasters and kinetic barriers sounds pretty great on paper but it would be even harder to get money on those planes, especially when I wont have any identification or materials worth trading, not for any of the planes that come to mind at least.
Future information may be worth quite a bit on those planes but I'm not chancing it while I'm still so weak, down that path lies my painful interrogation, imprisonment and/or gruesome death.
'Yeah, lets try and avoid high tech planes until I have some lands and a magical arsenal under my belt.'
So, stick with Skyrim for now and learn some magic because... well it's magic, pretty self-explanatory.
'Alright, I'll head home for some stuff to sell, come back here and kit up before setting off for Winterhold College.' I decide with a nod, the college would be the best place to learn all the spells I want. 'Better go the long way and pick up lands as I go, that means I need some way to defend myself from all the bandits and monsters that infest this world.'
unfortunately, I don't have much experience with weapons, the only firearms I own are my paintball and airsoft guns and I don't think my LARP-earned swords skills will make a lick of difference here. I might know how to properly hold and use a sword but that won't matter against any bandits or monsters, that'll just end with me gutted and probably eaten.
'Isn't that just a lovely image. Still I know how to properly swing a sword and Airsoft pellets sting like no ones business.' I muse as I stand, a plan slowly forming in my mind. 'Some effective poison on any weapons and a few spells in my repertoire should let me hold my own, I'll have to pick up some lands before I set off but that's just common sense.'
A plan of action in mind, I grin and grab hold of my spark, spreading it over my form takes a few seconds but everything is soon covered. Glowing with a near invisible shimmer of golden light, eyes closed and a particular plane floating in my minds eye, I Walk.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
Violent winds rip and tear at me, seeking to shred everything that I am into its constitute atoms.
Darkness surrounds me, a void with nothing to see, all sound drowned by the tearing winds. An endless void that even the light of my spark fails to illuminate, Blind Eternities indeed.
All I can do is trust in my power and follow the guiding beacon in my minds eye.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
Appearing on the sidewalk a few blocks from my apartment building in a faint flash of golden light, I immediately fold over and grab my knees, gasping for air and shuddering.
'Holy fuck that was terrifying.'
The Blind Eternities... the less said about them the better...
"Whelp, lets go get me some cash."
And with a whistle, I stroll down the street, hands in my pockets and the last few minutes repressed.
Riften from what I can see, looks pretty much like it does in the game, just less animation and more realism. The same number of buildings, the same general layout and the same familiar looking group of people.
Huh, imagine that, wonder if the rest of this world is the same. Probably so, Nirn was artificially created by the Aedra after all.
'Holy shit that's a dark elf, that's a Khajiit and I'm pretty sure that guys an Orc.' I goggle, taking in the many nonhuman races walking through the streets.
Damn that's a shock but I really should move now, don't want to draw attention by acting weird.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I wander to an out of the way corner to just sit and... well, think some more. I really need a plan of action, I can't just go rushing into things and getting in over my head, down that way lies a quick and painful death.
Or worse, hilarious shenanigans.
-Shudder-
Right, first off I need money, tools and supplies. Not to mention food and somewhere to sleep, I don't think my apartment is all that livable right now.
Well, if I can my hands on some tools and materials, I can easily copy the patterns for later but none of that helps right now nor does it solve my food and board problem. Even if I do manage to copy some Septims, I have no lands, which means no Mana to create copies with.
Still, fear not for, as always, Fanfiction comes to my rescue. This is usually the part where the protagonist gets their hands on some gold and jewels to sell, usually by visiting a dead world or something.
Except.. unarmed and kind of tired, no way am I dropping into a zombieverse right now, especially since I can't just trust that the zombie infection wont travel with me. Yeah... not going near any of those planes until I have some viable quarantine method set up.
Guess I could just do a snatch and grab, take what I want and Walk out of the plane.... yeah, no. Even if that doesn't get me shot or shanked before I can Walk, I'm a Planeswalker with what can be likened to phenomenal cosmic power, petty theft is a bit below me I'd say.
Guess I could head home for stuff to sell, not sure what though since I don't have any gold or rare jewels just lying around to bring back and trade.
Wait a second, why does it have to be gold or jewels? This world is an analogue to earths medieval period just with magic added in, there's plenty that I can bring over to trade, heck gold isn't even that valuable in a few planes that I can name. For a medieval setting like this, I can probably make a killing with something mundane like salt and pepper, after all salt pile is considered a common item in the game but 0.2 weight -kilograms? pounds?- of it is worth two Septims.
I definitely have a decent amount of salt and spices lying around the kitchen at home, that's more than enough cooking and alchemy material for me to get by on.
'Alright, that sounds like a good plan for the short term.' I hum, nodding to myself, at least I don't have to do anything plebeian like picking berries and sleeping on the ground. 'What about the long term though?'
Long term plans for my stay in Skyrim...
Hmm, I definitely need some weapons and armor ASAP, it's a dangerous world out there and I plan to visit other planes that are just as dangerous. I should probably get some of that around here, better if I can afford to get it enchanted too.
Dropping into a high tech plane for some blasters and kinetic barriers sounds pretty great on paper but it would be even harder to get money on those planes, especially when I wont have any identification or materials worth trading, not for any of the planes that come to mind at least.
Future information may be worth quite a bit on those planes but I'm not chancing it while I'm still so weak, down that path lies my painful interrogation, imprisonment and/or gruesome death.
'Yeah, lets try and avoid high tech planes until I have some lands and a magical arsenal under my belt.'
So, stick with Skyrim for now and learn some magic because... well it's magic, pretty self-explanatory.
'Alright, I'll head home for some stuff to sell, come back here and kit up before setting off for Winterhold College.' I decide with a nod, the college would be the best place to learn all the spells I want. 'Better go the long way and pick up lands as I go, that means I need some way to defend myself from all the bandits and monsters that infest this world.'
unfortunately, I don't have much experience with weapons, the only firearms I own are my paintball and airsoft guns and I don't think my LARP-earned swords skills will make a lick of difference here. I might know how to properly hold and use a sword but that won't matter against any bandits or monsters, that'll just end with me gutted and probably eaten.
'Isn't that just a lovely image. Still I know how to properly swing a sword and Airsoft pellets sting like no ones business.' I muse as I stand, a plan slowly forming in my mind. 'Some effective poison on any weapons and a few spells in my repertoire should let me hold my own, I'll have to pick up some lands before I set off but that's just common sense.'
A plan of action in mind, I grin and grab hold of my spark, spreading it over my form takes a few seconds but everything is soon covered. Glowing with a near invisible shimmer of golden light, eyes closed and a particular plane floating in my minds eye, I Walk.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
Violent winds rip and tear at me, seeking to shred everything that I am into its constitute atoms.
Darkness surrounds me, a void with nothing to see, all sound drowned by the tearing winds. An endless void that even the light of my spark fails to illuminate, Blind Eternities indeed.
All I can do is trust in my power and follow the guiding beacon in my minds eye.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
Appearing on the sidewalk a few blocks from my apartment building in a faint flash of golden light, I immediately fold over and grab my knees, gasping for air and shuddering.
'Holy fuck that was terrifying.'
The Blind Eternities... the less said about them the better...
"Whelp, lets go get me some cash."
And with a whistle, I stroll down the street, hands in my pockets and the last few minutes repressed.
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Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Chapter Three.
Closing in on my apartment building, I'm not all that surprised to see some firetrucks and police cars parked out front, the entire area closed off with police tape and a large group of people crowded around and gossiping.
I also notice my bitch of a landlady talking with some cops while pointing at my section of the building, where it seems that asshole Trent managed to bring his floor down on me with his new weightlifting set, always told the bitch that the place wasn't up to code.
I'm actually a bit surprised they're all still here, I must not have been unconscious for as long as I thought. That or time passes differently between the two planes, something to check on later.
For now, what to do? Head over to the cops and see if they'll let me into the building? My wallet and phone are in there after all.
Nope, no way are they gonna let me into a damaged building, best to avoid an annoying conversation if I can. Melting into the crowd of gawkers and tenants, I make my way around the building and head for the parking lot, the exit is taped off but I can still grab some stuff from my car.
Luckily for me, I like keeping my keys in the bedroom so they were still in my pocket since I went straight to the couch after getting home, the same rule applies for my phone and wallet but I took them both out as I don't like sitting on my wallet at home and the phones vibration is easier to hear when its on the coffee table.
Unlocking the vehicle, I dive right for the center cup holders and grab all the spare change I keep in them, $25.75 once I count all the quarters, loonies and toonies (Canadian currency btw), more than enough for what I need.
Closing the door, I head to the trunk and open it up, grinning as I take in the grey and blue duffle bag that I always leave there. Unzipping the bag, I immediately remove my paintball gun, paint grenades and spare paintballs, leaving just the two airsoft pistols, two sets of battery packs and a large container of plastic pellets.
Zipping the bag back up, I sling it over my shoulder and head off down the block, there's a Walmart a few streets down where I can get everything I need.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
"That will be twenty-five forty-three sir." the teen at the counter tells me, smiling that fake smile people always have as they take your money.
"Twenty-five seventy-five, keep the change." I reply, dropping a stack of coins in her hands and grabbing my five bags. I must look like a homeless guy, coming in with filthy clothes and paying with so many coins but hell if I care, I got everything I need and I can kiss this boring plane goodbye.
Salt, as it turns out, is pretty damn cheap in a modern world, a single box of Walmart brand table salt was only 87 cents, I grabbed twenty of those as well as a bunch of the free paper bags they keep near the mushrooms. The rest of my money went to buying an $8 mixed bag of socks and underwear, only two spares of each but that should be fine until I can buy some more or start creating my own from mana, same with all of the clothing patterns that I'd copied while strolling through the clothing department.
Stepping outside the Walmart, I drop everything into my duffle bag and walk back towards the apartment, better to be in the same spot I arrived in before Walking back.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
"I'll give ya' one eighty-five for the lot." Hafjorg the shopkeeper grunts, glaring me down as her Alchemist husband examines the salt I'm selling.
Turns out that the unit of weight measurement used in Skyrim is equivalent to earth's kilograms, meaning that the 20 kg of salt I'd divided over numerous paper bags should be worth a solid 200 Septims, guess my Haggling isn't high enough.
"Deal." I agree with a grin, I need this money too much to make a stink of it.
Hafjorg simply grunts and counts the coins out, dropping them into a cloth bag before handing them over.
'Ooh, enchanted money bag.'
Despite containing one hundred and eighty-five decently sized metal coins, the bag is pretty damn light, almost weightless to be honest. Guess that's how the Dragonborn can get away with carrying 50k+ Septims despite the weight limit, how easy are these to make if the money pinching shopkeeper can just give one away to me?
Shrugging, I leave the elderly couple to their work as I exit the shop, the sun is setting and there's a room at the Bee and Barb with my name on it, not to mention the home cooked meal and ale.
Thank god my LARP group likes to keep things realistic, at least I won't be too surprised at the quality of food and drink on this plane.
'Things are looking up.' I chuckle, strolling down the walkway to the inn with my bag held tight, this town does house the thieves guild after all.
Closing in on my apartment building, I'm not all that surprised to see some firetrucks and police cars parked out front, the entire area closed off with police tape and a large group of people crowded around and gossiping.
I also notice my bitch of a landlady talking with some cops while pointing at my section of the building, where it seems that asshole Trent managed to bring his floor down on me with his new weightlifting set, always told the bitch that the place wasn't up to code.
I'm actually a bit surprised they're all still here, I must not have been unconscious for as long as I thought. That or time passes differently between the two planes, something to check on later.
For now, what to do? Head over to the cops and see if they'll let me into the building? My wallet and phone are in there after all.
Nope, no way are they gonna let me into a damaged building, best to avoid an annoying conversation if I can. Melting into the crowd of gawkers and tenants, I make my way around the building and head for the parking lot, the exit is taped off but I can still grab some stuff from my car.
Luckily for me, I like keeping my keys in the bedroom so they were still in my pocket since I went straight to the couch after getting home, the same rule applies for my phone and wallet but I took them both out as I don't like sitting on my wallet at home and the phones vibration is easier to hear when its on the coffee table.
Unlocking the vehicle, I dive right for the center cup holders and grab all the spare change I keep in them, $25.75 once I count all the quarters, loonies and toonies (Canadian currency btw), more than enough for what I need.
Closing the door, I head to the trunk and open it up, grinning as I take in the grey and blue duffle bag that I always leave there. Unzipping the bag, I immediately remove my paintball gun, paint grenades and spare paintballs, leaving just the two airsoft pistols, two sets of battery packs and a large container of plastic pellets.
Zipping the bag back up, I sling it over my shoulder and head off down the block, there's a Walmart a few streets down where I can get everything I need.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
"That will be twenty-five forty-three sir." the teen at the counter tells me, smiling that fake smile people always have as they take your money.
"Twenty-five seventy-five, keep the change." I reply, dropping a stack of coins in her hands and grabbing my five bags. I must look like a homeless guy, coming in with filthy clothes and paying with so many coins but hell if I care, I got everything I need and I can kiss this boring plane goodbye.
Salt, as it turns out, is pretty damn cheap in a modern world, a single box of Walmart brand table salt was only 87 cents, I grabbed twenty of those as well as a bunch of the free paper bags they keep near the mushrooms. The rest of my money went to buying an $8 mixed bag of socks and underwear, only two spares of each but that should be fine until I can buy some more or start creating my own from mana, same with all of the clothing patterns that I'd copied while strolling through the clothing department.
Stepping outside the Walmart, I drop everything into my duffle bag and walk back towards the apartment, better to be in the same spot I arrived in before Walking back.
~V~ BASTION ~V~
"I'll give ya' one eighty-five for the lot." Hafjorg the shopkeeper grunts, glaring me down as her Alchemist husband examines the salt I'm selling.
Turns out that the unit of weight measurement used in Skyrim is equivalent to earth's kilograms, meaning that the 20 kg of salt I'd divided over numerous paper bags should be worth a solid 200 Septims, guess my Haggling isn't high enough.
"Deal." I agree with a grin, I need this money too much to make a stink of it.
Hafjorg simply grunts and counts the coins out, dropping them into a cloth bag before handing them over.
'Ooh, enchanted money bag.'
Despite containing one hundred and eighty-five decently sized metal coins, the bag is pretty damn light, almost weightless to be honest. Guess that's how the Dragonborn can get away with carrying 50k+ Septims despite the weight limit, how easy are these to make if the money pinching shopkeeper can just give one away to me?
Shrugging, I leave the elderly couple to their work as I exit the shop, the sun is setting and there's a room at the Bee and Barb with my name on it, not to mention the home cooked meal and ale.
Thank god my LARP group likes to keep things realistic, at least I won't be too surprised at the quality of food and drink on this plane.
'Things are looking up.' I chuckle, strolling down the walkway to the inn with my bag held tight, this town does house the thieves guild after all.
And thats how you make money thanks to limitles power that spark give you. I like it 
Lord Platypus
Probably Not a Real Platypus
- Location
- Smelling your hair
Maybe you should introduce steam power. The Dwemer used it, so you could pass it off as having studied Dwemer technology if you had to. Is there gunpowder in TES? If not, you could probably sell some to the alchemist and see what it might be used for.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Good idea, getting some blueprints off the internet or the time travelers guide would be a good idea. I'll note that for next time he goes home.
Maybe I'm just crazy, but I'd love to find at least one M:tG crossover that at least tried to be serious. This story just started getting annoying with how meta it was being. Referencing other threads, constantly talking to the reader (seriously, that's not even slightly clever or fun to read, so why do these crossovers feel the need to keep doing it?), that completely unnecessary divider, and several grammar mistakes.
WinterKnight
Keeper of the Shinies
- Location
- Higher than sky high
Eh, it was just a little at the beginning. It's not that big of a deal.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Hey all, I know it's been a while but don't worry, I haven't dropped this story. Rather I've decided to rewrite it and go with a different premise, expect the first new chapter soon.
Revised Chapter One.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Revised Chapter One.
"Hey stranger, wake up." a voice hisses, followed by a sharp tap at my shin.
"Wha..?" I mumble, blinking my eyes open and sitting up from my slouched position. 'Where the hell am I?'
My eyes dart about in surprise and shock, taking in the surroundings and forming a disturbing image. Rather than waking up in my small bedroom, I seem to be sitting at the back of a horse drawn carriage, my hands tied at my front by what feels like thick, coarse rope.
'Oh god, this.. this looks familiar.'
Even as the thought passes through my mind, my head snaps to the side, half of me hoping I'm right while the other half hopes I'm wrong. Well, seems like both halves will be getting what they want.
On the one hand, I'm definitely in the world of Skyrim, seated in the prisoner transport carriage from the start of the game. On the other hand, I'm probably not the Dragonborn, that honor probably belongs to the large, blond haired man seated between me and the gagged form of Ulfric Stormcloak.
Or so I hope.
In the game, the Dragonborn first awakens sitting a small distance from Ulfric, right around where the blond man is seated. Assuming game logic is in effect, then that makes him the Dragonborn and not me, thank god.
But putting all that aside, there is a much bigger matter at hand. Like.. HOW THE HELL DID I END UP INSIDE A VIDEO GAME?
Oh, it would be nice to believe this is all just a dream, or maybe a hallucination, but I'm not that delusional. Not even my most vivid dreams are this clear, and seeing as I can feel pain from where I was kicked in the shin and the rough rope around my hands... so yeah, not a dream.
A hallucination would be nice to believe in but I don't remember eating anything weird, nor do I do any drugs. In fact, what I do remember is...
~X~
Waking up alone in a white void.
~X~
An old man appearing in a flash of light, his features blurred and hidden but his very presence sending a wave of Kaleidoscopic colors throughout the void.
~X~
Unspoken questions are asked, unspoken answers are given. A number is decided, choices are made.
~X~
A raging inferno of RED rises from the colorful void. A scream is released as the flames swirl around both arms, unbearable heat searing a pattern into the skin.
~X~
A cooling stream of BLUE pours from the surroundings, wrapping around the inflamed limbs and bringing sweet relief.
~X~
A haze of BLACK forms from a point where all colors mix, swirling forward to seep into my chest, an unnatural feeling of decay and inevitability pulsing from the center of my being.
~X~
More dialogue is exchanged with no words spoken. Another choice is made, limits are set and a deal is agreed upon.
~X~
A burst of golden light. A void of darkness replacing that of color, harsh winds howling and roaring. A feeling of falling and tumbling. Consciousness is lost.
~X~
'Oh, shit. I've been ROBed.' I groan, as the memories return. I now remember waking up in that void, being offered a deal by a bored entity, accepting said deal and becoming what I now am; a Planeswalker.
As if they had been waiting for me to acknowledge the situation, I feel four pulses of energy from different parts of my body.
From deep inside my gut, I feel a pulse of GOLD, the light conveying a feeling of travel, protection and ownership. This must be my gifted Planeswalker spark. From my memory of that 'conversation', I know that I'm definitely not an Oldwalker or even a genuine Planeswalker, the ROB was able to grant me the ability to claim land and walk planes but there are certain limits imposed, limits that genuine Planeswalkers don't have to suffer.
The first of those limits relates to the other three pulses of energy, BLUE and RED from the two bands of colored tattoos I now notice on my arms, twin streams of water and fire spiraling up from my wrists to my elbows. Aside from that is the aura of Black pulsing out from my chest, where I don't even need to look to somehow know that there is a blackened skull tattooed above my heart.
From what other information I can remember of that wordless conversation, these were my set colors, Black my primary while RED and BLUE are my secondaries. Unlike a real Planeswalker, I wouldn't be able to claim any land that didn't fall inside these domains, nor would I be able to use any magic that didn't fall under either color.
Quite limiting especially since White and Green had a lot going for them, but I couldn't really push my luck with the ROB, I was lucky enough to get three colors and that was only because the secondaries were both considered allies of my primary color.
Still, all that aside, I now have the power to Walk the Planes and use Magic. Magic, the phenomenal cosmic power of the universe is now at my fingertips, fuck yeah. Great as all that may be, there is still the catch. I'm completely and utterly forbidden from returning to my Home plane, I'm forced to travel the planes and perform for the entertainment of a bored omnipotent being.
BUT!
I can freak out about that later, right now I'm being taken to Helgen whilst seated in the same carriage as rebels and criminals on the way to an execution, the Dragonborn at my side is stoic and silent as one of our fellow passengers yammers away.
~X~
"..and sisters in binds now thief." the Nord sitting across from me grunts, head turned to the black-haired Breton to his side.
Thank god they speak English, assuming I'm not just auto translating whatever it is they do speak, that could have been problematic.
The Nord must be Ralof? I think that's his name, either way he's the one I want to stick with when Alduin shows up, him or the Dragonborn at least. Then again, Alduin is aiming to kill one of the two, so probably better to stick with the one that doesn't have a dragon after his hide.
"Shut up back there!" The Imperial guiding the carriage shouts, head turning to look back at us. I make sure to keep my mouth shut, no need to draw attention to myself.
"What's wrong with him, huh?" the Breton grumbles, completely ignoring the guard as his question seems to be directed at the gagged form of Ulfric.
"Watch your tongue." Ralof snaps, glaring at the Breton. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."
'Yeah, that helps the situation Ralof.' I groan, drowning out the conversation as the Thief freaks out and has his little moment with Ralof.
Instead, I turn my attention to the Dragonborn, taking in his features even as we pull into Helgen and Ralof continues his monologue.
The man that I'm assuming is the Dragonborn is a tall, muscular Nord with shoulder length blond hair and piercing blue eyes, he looks to be in his late twenties and seems to have a trio of long scars running vertically from his right temple down to the cheek. Overall, he looks like the warrior type even while dressed in rags, perhaps a veteran soldier or a hunter before this all went down. I make a note to ask about his origins later to see if this guy has memories unlike his video game counterpart.
My examination is interrupted as the wagon comes to a stop and we're all pulled off, even as the Imperials begin reading names off the list, I try to come up with a name and maybe an innocent sounding backstory if they ask for one. I've already noticed that I'm dressed in the same thin rags as the Dragonborn so I don't look like a foreigner, my skin is the same dark brown of my Nigerian heritage but I can probably pass for a Redguard even if it's just barely.
As for a name... well, I would have liked Bastion, the name I'd given my Skyrim game character but I didn't plan on using a sword and shield like him, yet alone the heavy armor. Nope, I'm way too out of shape and domesticated to be running head first into battle, weapon in my hand and a war cry on my lips; that just isn't me. It might be fun playing the warrior/tank in a videogame but this is life, I don't like pain and I don't have the discipline to learn how to properly swing a weapon -my LARPing experience doesn't count for squat in this instance.
At the same time, I made a deal with a godlike being, that means I can't just settle down and build a new life. Nope, my life is going to be filled with adventure and danger from now on, I'm going to need to fight for my life. Which means I'm going for ranged combat, magic as the case maybe.
Heck, I'd even chosen my primary colors based on the matter of expendable meat shields to hide behind while slinging spells. If I have to fight, then I'm doing so with the phenomenal cosmic powers at my fingertips and an army of undead servants between me and all threats. With my primary and secondary colors being what they are, I'm going full necromancer with a side of offensive and counter magic.
"What is your name prisoner."
But all of that is for the future, right now I need a name to give to the Imperials and I need to pay better attention to my surroundings or I'll be dead without ever leaving Helgen.
Hmm... necromancer names... I don't want anything too cliche and nothing having the word blood or bone in it. Oh!
'Well, I'm not Haitian but it kind of fits eh?' I muse, settling on a perfect name, the same name that I'd used for my Necromancer back when I still played Diablo.
"Samedi, my name is Samedi." I reply to the Imperial holding the clipboard.
"Tsk. Another one that's not on the list Ma'am." he grunts, addressing the female Imperial off to the side. "There's no mention of a Redguard here."
"You heard me the first time soldier, he goes to the block with the other one." the woman snaps back, looking away dismissively.
'See, that right there is why I sided with the Stormcloaks in the game, fuck the Imperials and their murder-boner.' I grumble as I walk towards my fellow executionees. 'If it ever gets to it, I'm siding with the Stormcloaks again. Death to the Imperials, death to the Thalmor.'
THUNK! Thump...
Shit, they already beheaded that one guy? Geez, I really need to pay attention, getting distracted like this all the time is gonna get me killed in this world. And.. why aren't I more grossed out by the headless corpse?
A frown crosses my face at that thought.
This is my first time seeing someone die and it happened just a few feet away, there's blood coating the ground, the head has rolled a small distance toward me and I don't feel anything for the scene.
My eyes close for a moment as I search my thoughts, I'm not a psychopath, I should feel something right? Nope. Where is the disgust for this act of murder? Where is my fear of what could be my upcoming death? Where is the rage at the imperials and their senseless executions?
All of those feelings are gone, all of those emotions missing. Instead there is an all prevailing feeling of calm. That.. that isn't natural/
I.. I should feel something about this but I don't, I don't care that my mind is being altered like this, instead I'm just glad that I'm able to keep my cool and I won't have to worry about any exceptional freakouts later. Actually, this probably explains why I haven't had a breakdown yet. After all, I was torn from my home, my friends and my family. Not even the promise of magic and adventure would make me forget about that but I'd yet to freak out about it, this explains why.
All further thought is banished as the massive form of Alduin lands on a small tower of the fort and releases a deafening roar. Damn.. that dragon is huge, the game does not do justice to the shear massive bulk that is Alduin the World Eater and..
HOLY SHIT, IT'S RAINING METEORS!
Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap.
Gaining my bearings, I rush after the retreating forms of the Dragonborn and Ralof, managing to squeak by into the tower before the door is shut. I know the people around me are shouting and talking but all I can focus on is the roaring outside the tower and the crashing as Helgen is laid to waste, what a rush.
The Dragonborn immediately makes his way up the stairs and I hang back, I know what's up there and I'd much rather follow Ralof's path than jumping from the second story of this tower, I might be fireproof but dragonfire is a whole other can of worms.
Wait.. I'm fireproof?
Oh yeah, I seem to be still recalling some info from that wordless conversation. Seems that my innate colors grant me some abilities, minor ones but useful all the same. The Red gives some minor resistance to fire and complete resistance to environmental heat. The Blue lets me breathe underwater and grants some resistance to cold. Lastly, the Black grants minor resistance to death/soul magic and full immunity to disease.
Pretty nifty but nothing grand, without the green or white I have no resistance to poison or holy, or any sort of accelerated healing factor. I'll have to make sure I'm careful in regards to those matters.
CRASH!
ROAR!
FWOOSH!
Huh, there goes the entire upper level.
"Jarl Ulfric, the coast is clear, we can go out the back door." Ralof shouts as he comes running down the stairs, drawing the attention of all those in the room.
There's a small stampede as we all rush from the room, Ulfric and the other Stormcloaks going one way while Ralof goes another. Already knowing where he's headed, I follow behind Ralof, who grunts and stops as he notices.
"The other prisoner jumped from the top, I'm going to give him what aid I can!" Ralof shouts over the sound of battle and carnage.
"I know!" I shout in reply. "Cut me free, I can help."
He actually looks me up and down skeptically, I know I don't look that tough, no need to rub it in man.
"I'm a mage." I decide to say, it's partially true as I do have a fifty card deck of spells I can call on, I just don't have the land to cast most of them.
That was another thing the ROB had used to limit me, I was essentially a 'Planeswalker Player', someone playing a live action version of Magic the Gathering rather than a cosmic being of unimaginable power. If I focused on it, I could 'feel' a metaphorical deck of cards at the back of my mind, the deck was composed of ten red, ten blue, ten colorless and twenty black cards.
I could draw up to seven of these cards at a time, keeping them at the forefront of my mind to be cast at any time, assuming I'd claimed enough lands to cast them. To draw more cards, I would need to either cast a spell/summon a creature and have it end/die, or I could return a card to the deck but be unable to draw that same card again for a full twenty-four hours.
As for gaining new cards to improve my deck.. well that was the weird bit. Aside from the deck in my mind, there was what was essentially a card store as well, a place where I could exchange siphoned energy/souls for new cards. It was explained to me that way but seeing as I get said currency by killing enemies, I'm just gonna call it experience points. So I can trade a certain number of experience points for new cards at anytime, cards which can then be added into my deck, up to a total of but no more than sixty cards.
"Alright, you can come along stranger." Ralof replies, drawing me from my thoughts as he cuts the ropes binding my arms with the dagger at his waist, when'd he pick that up? "The name's Ralof, you?"
"Samedi, you can call me Samedi." I reply, rubbing my chafed wrists. 'Huh, guess I did get his name right.'
"Alright friend, stay behind me and follow along, I heard some shouting up ahead."
Nodding in understanding, I follow behind the Nord as he runs towards one of the only buildings still unscathed. We pass a few fires along the way and while Ralof shies from the heat, I can't help but smirk and thank my heat resistance, even up here in the mountains and surrounded by flames everything seems to be around room temperature.
"Ralof!" A voice shouts and I look over to see the Dragonborn and an Imperial soldier running up. "Out of our way!"
"We're escaping Hadvar!" Ralof shouts back, coming to a stop with his dagger drawn. "You're not stopping us this time!"
Havdar frowns before angrily shaking his head.
"Fine, I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovengard!" Havdar shouts back.
While this is going on, I manage to catch the Dragonborns attention and make a point of noting his still bound limbs and my free ones. No way do I want him going with the Imperial, I want that walking plot armor as close to me as possible before risking the tunnels.
Huh, maybe I should have gone with Ulfric then, the dragon had no interest in him and I know he survives this. Oh well, too late now.
CRASH!
Oh shit, Alduin just landed on the wall behind me. No time to look, just running behind Ralof and the Dragonborn.
Oh, and thank you Blue for helping me keep my calm, pretty sure I would be shitting myself right now.
"Hey stranger, wake up." a voice hisses, followed by a sharp tap at my shin.
"Wha..?" I mumble, blinking my eyes open and sitting up from my slouched position. 'Where the hell am I?'
My eyes dart about in surprise and shock, taking in the surroundings and forming a disturbing image. Rather than waking up in my small bedroom, I seem to be sitting at the back of a horse drawn carriage, my hands tied at my front by what feels like thick, coarse rope.
'Oh god, this.. this looks familiar.'
Even as the thought passes through my mind, my head snaps to the side, half of me hoping I'm right while the other half hopes I'm wrong. Well, seems like both halves will be getting what they want.
On the one hand, I'm definitely in the world of Skyrim, seated in the prisoner transport carriage from the start of the game. On the other hand, I'm probably not the Dragonborn, that honor probably belongs to the large, blond haired man seated between me and the gagged form of Ulfric Stormcloak.
Or so I hope.
In the game, the Dragonborn first awakens sitting a small distance from Ulfric, right around where the blond man is seated. Assuming game logic is in effect, then that makes him the Dragonborn and not me, thank god.
But putting all that aside, there is a much bigger matter at hand. Like.. HOW THE HELL DID I END UP INSIDE A VIDEO GAME?
Oh, it would be nice to believe this is all just a dream, or maybe a hallucination, but I'm not that delusional. Not even my most vivid dreams are this clear, and seeing as I can feel pain from where I was kicked in the shin and the rough rope around my hands... so yeah, not a dream.
A hallucination would be nice to believe in but I don't remember eating anything weird, nor do I do any drugs. In fact, what I do remember is...
~X~
Waking up alone in a white void.
~X~
An old man appearing in a flash of light, his features blurred and hidden but his very presence sending a wave of Kaleidoscopic colors throughout the void.
~X~
Unspoken questions are asked, unspoken answers are given. A number is decided, choices are made.
~X~
A raging inferno of RED rises from the colorful void. A scream is released as the flames swirl around both arms, unbearable heat searing a pattern into the skin.
~X~
A cooling stream of BLUE pours from the surroundings, wrapping around the inflamed limbs and bringing sweet relief.
~X~
A haze of BLACK forms from a point where all colors mix, swirling forward to seep into my chest, an unnatural feeling of decay and inevitability pulsing from the center of my being.
~X~
More dialogue is exchanged with no words spoken. Another choice is made, limits are set and a deal is agreed upon.
~X~
A burst of golden light. A void of darkness replacing that of color, harsh winds howling and roaring. A feeling of falling and tumbling. Consciousness is lost.
~X~
'Oh, shit. I've been ROBed.' I groan, as the memories return. I now remember waking up in that void, being offered a deal by a bored entity, accepting said deal and becoming what I now am; a Planeswalker.
As if they had been waiting for me to acknowledge the situation, I feel four pulses of energy from different parts of my body.
From deep inside my gut, I feel a pulse of GOLD, the light conveying a feeling of travel, protection and ownership. This must be my gifted Planeswalker spark. From my memory of that 'conversation', I know that I'm definitely not an Oldwalker or even a genuine Planeswalker, the ROB was able to grant me the ability to claim land and walk planes but there are certain limits imposed, limits that genuine Planeswalkers don't have to suffer.
The first of those limits relates to the other three pulses of energy, BLUE and RED from the two bands of colored tattoos I now notice on my arms, twin streams of water and fire spiraling up from my wrists to my elbows. Aside from that is the aura of Black pulsing out from my chest, where I don't even need to look to somehow know that there is a blackened skull tattooed above my heart.
From what other information I can remember of that wordless conversation, these were my set colors, Black my primary while RED and BLUE are my secondaries. Unlike a real Planeswalker, I wouldn't be able to claim any land that didn't fall inside these domains, nor would I be able to use any magic that didn't fall under either color.
Quite limiting especially since White and Green had a lot going for them, but I couldn't really push my luck with the ROB, I was lucky enough to get three colors and that was only because the secondaries were both considered allies of my primary color.
Still, all that aside, I now have the power to Walk the Planes and use Magic. Magic, the phenomenal cosmic power of the universe is now at my fingertips, fuck yeah. Great as all that may be, there is still the catch. I'm completely and utterly forbidden from returning to my Home plane, I'm forced to travel the planes and perform for the entertainment of a bored omnipotent being.
BUT!
I can freak out about that later, right now I'm being taken to Helgen whilst seated in the same carriage as rebels and criminals on the way to an execution, the Dragonborn at my side is stoic and silent as one of our fellow passengers yammers away.
~X~
"..and sisters in binds now thief." the Nord sitting across from me grunts, head turned to the black-haired Breton to his side.
Thank god they speak English, assuming I'm not just auto translating whatever it is they do speak, that could have been problematic.
The Nord must be Ralof? I think that's his name, either way he's the one I want to stick with when Alduin shows up, him or the Dragonborn at least. Then again, Alduin is aiming to kill one of the two, so probably better to stick with the one that doesn't have a dragon after his hide.
"Shut up back there!" The Imperial guiding the carriage shouts, head turning to look back at us. I make sure to keep my mouth shut, no need to draw attention to myself.
"What's wrong with him, huh?" the Breton grumbles, completely ignoring the guard as his question seems to be directed at the gagged form of Ulfric.
"Watch your tongue." Ralof snaps, glaring at the Breton. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."
'Yeah, that helps the situation Ralof.' I groan, drowning out the conversation as the Thief freaks out and has his little moment with Ralof.
Instead, I turn my attention to the Dragonborn, taking in his features even as we pull into Helgen and Ralof continues his monologue.
The man that I'm assuming is the Dragonborn is a tall, muscular Nord with shoulder length blond hair and piercing blue eyes, he looks to be in his late twenties and seems to have a trio of long scars running vertically from his right temple down to the cheek. Overall, he looks like the warrior type even while dressed in rags, perhaps a veteran soldier or a hunter before this all went down. I make a note to ask about his origins later to see if this guy has memories unlike his video game counterpart.
My examination is interrupted as the wagon comes to a stop and we're all pulled off, even as the Imperials begin reading names off the list, I try to come up with a name and maybe an innocent sounding backstory if they ask for one. I've already noticed that I'm dressed in the same thin rags as the Dragonborn so I don't look like a foreigner, my skin is the same dark brown of my Nigerian heritage but I can probably pass for a Redguard even if it's just barely.
As for a name... well, I would have liked Bastion, the name I'd given my Skyrim game character but I didn't plan on using a sword and shield like him, yet alone the heavy armor. Nope, I'm way too out of shape and domesticated to be running head first into battle, weapon in my hand and a war cry on my lips; that just isn't me. It might be fun playing the warrior/tank in a videogame but this is life, I don't like pain and I don't have the discipline to learn how to properly swing a weapon -my LARPing experience doesn't count for squat in this instance.
At the same time, I made a deal with a godlike being, that means I can't just settle down and build a new life. Nope, my life is going to be filled with adventure and danger from now on, I'm going to need to fight for my life. Which means I'm going for ranged combat, magic as the case maybe.
Heck, I'd even chosen my primary colors based on the matter of expendable meat shields to hide behind while slinging spells. If I have to fight, then I'm doing so with the phenomenal cosmic powers at my fingertips and an army of undead servants between me and all threats. With my primary and secondary colors being what they are, I'm going full necromancer with a side of offensive and counter magic.
"What is your name prisoner."
But all of that is for the future, right now I need a name to give to the Imperials and I need to pay better attention to my surroundings or I'll be dead without ever leaving Helgen.
Hmm... necromancer names... I don't want anything too cliche and nothing having the word blood or bone in it. Oh!
'Well, I'm not Haitian but it kind of fits eh?' I muse, settling on a perfect name, the same name that I'd used for my Necromancer back when I still played Diablo.
"Samedi, my name is Samedi." I reply to the Imperial holding the clipboard.
"Tsk. Another one that's not on the list Ma'am." he grunts, addressing the female Imperial off to the side. "There's no mention of a Redguard here."
"You heard me the first time soldier, he goes to the block with the other one." the woman snaps back, looking away dismissively.
'See, that right there is why I sided with the Stormcloaks in the game, fuck the Imperials and their murder-boner.' I grumble as I walk towards my fellow executionees. 'If it ever gets to it, I'm siding with the Stormcloaks again. Death to the Imperials, death to the Thalmor.'
THUNK! Thump...
Shit, they already beheaded that one guy? Geez, I really need to pay attention, getting distracted like this all the time is gonna get me killed in this world. And.. why aren't I more grossed out by the headless corpse?
A frown crosses my face at that thought.
This is my first time seeing someone die and it happened just a few feet away, there's blood coating the ground, the head has rolled a small distance toward me and I don't feel anything for the scene.
My eyes close for a moment as I search my thoughts, I'm not a psychopath, I should feel something right? Nope. Where is the disgust for this act of murder? Where is my fear of what could be my upcoming death? Where is the rage at the imperials and their senseless executions?
All of those feelings are gone, all of those emotions missing. Instead there is an all prevailing feeling of calm. That.. that isn't natural/
I.. I should feel something about this but I don't, I don't care that my mind is being altered like this, instead I'm just glad that I'm able to keep my cool and I won't have to worry about any exceptional freakouts later. Actually, this probably explains why I haven't had a breakdown yet. After all, I was torn from my home, my friends and my family. Not even the promise of magic and adventure would make me forget about that but I'd yet to freak out about it, this explains why.
All further thought is banished as the massive form of Alduin lands on a small tower of the fort and releases a deafening roar. Damn.. that dragon is huge, the game does not do justice to the shear massive bulk that is Alduin the World Eater and..
HOLY SHIT, IT'S RAINING METEORS!
Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap.
Gaining my bearings, I rush after the retreating forms of the Dragonborn and Ralof, managing to squeak by into the tower before the door is shut. I know the people around me are shouting and talking but all I can focus on is the roaring outside the tower and the crashing as Helgen is laid to waste, what a rush.
The Dragonborn immediately makes his way up the stairs and I hang back, I know what's up there and I'd much rather follow Ralof's path than jumping from the second story of this tower, I might be fireproof but dragonfire is a whole other can of worms.
Wait.. I'm fireproof?
Oh yeah, I seem to be still recalling some info from that wordless conversation. Seems that my innate colors grant me some abilities, minor ones but useful all the same. The Red gives some minor resistance to fire and complete resistance to environmental heat. The Blue lets me breathe underwater and grants some resistance to cold. Lastly, the Black grants minor resistance to death/soul magic and full immunity to disease.
Pretty nifty but nothing grand, without the green or white I have no resistance to poison or holy, or any sort of accelerated healing factor. I'll have to make sure I'm careful in regards to those matters.
CRASH!
ROAR!
FWOOSH!
Huh, there goes the entire upper level.
"Jarl Ulfric, the coast is clear, we can go out the back door." Ralof shouts as he comes running down the stairs, drawing the attention of all those in the room.
There's a small stampede as we all rush from the room, Ulfric and the other Stormcloaks going one way while Ralof goes another. Already knowing where he's headed, I follow behind Ralof, who grunts and stops as he notices.
"The other prisoner jumped from the top, I'm going to give him what aid I can!" Ralof shouts over the sound of battle and carnage.
"I know!" I shout in reply. "Cut me free, I can help."
He actually looks me up and down skeptically, I know I don't look that tough, no need to rub it in man.
"I'm a mage." I decide to say, it's partially true as I do have a fifty card deck of spells I can call on, I just don't have the land to cast most of them.
That was another thing the ROB had used to limit me, I was essentially a 'Planeswalker Player', someone playing a live action version of Magic the Gathering rather than a cosmic being of unimaginable power. If I focused on it, I could 'feel' a metaphorical deck of cards at the back of my mind, the deck was composed of ten red, ten blue, ten colorless and twenty black cards.
I could draw up to seven of these cards at a time, keeping them at the forefront of my mind to be cast at any time, assuming I'd claimed enough lands to cast them. To draw more cards, I would need to either cast a spell/summon a creature and have it end/die, or I could return a card to the deck but be unable to draw that same card again for a full twenty-four hours.
As for gaining new cards to improve my deck.. well that was the weird bit. Aside from the deck in my mind, there was what was essentially a card store as well, a place where I could exchange siphoned energy/souls for new cards. It was explained to me that way but seeing as I get said currency by killing enemies, I'm just gonna call it experience points. So I can trade a certain number of experience points for new cards at anytime, cards which can then be added into my deck, up to a total of but no more than sixty cards.
"Alright, you can come along stranger." Ralof replies, drawing me from my thoughts as he cuts the ropes binding my arms with the dagger at his waist, when'd he pick that up? "The name's Ralof, you?"
"Samedi, you can call me Samedi." I reply, rubbing my chafed wrists. 'Huh, guess I did get his name right.'
"Alright friend, stay behind me and follow along, I heard some shouting up ahead."
Nodding in understanding, I follow behind the Nord as he runs towards one of the only buildings still unscathed. We pass a few fires along the way and while Ralof shies from the heat, I can't help but smirk and thank my heat resistance, even up here in the mountains and surrounded by flames everything seems to be around room temperature.
"Ralof!" A voice shouts and I look over to see the Dragonborn and an Imperial soldier running up. "Out of our way!"
"We're escaping Hadvar!" Ralof shouts back, coming to a stop with his dagger drawn. "You're not stopping us this time!"
Havdar frowns before angrily shaking his head.
"Fine, I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovengard!" Havdar shouts back.
While this is going on, I manage to catch the Dragonborns attention and make a point of noting his still bound limbs and my free ones. No way do I want him going with the Imperial, I want that walking plot armor as close to me as possible before risking the tunnels.
Huh, maybe I should have gone with Ulfric then, the dragon had no interest in him and I know he survives this. Oh well, too late now.
CRASH!
Oh shit, Alduin just landed on the wall behind me. No time to look, just running behind Ralof and the Dragonborn.
Oh, and thank you Blue for helping me keep my calm, pretty sure I would be shitting myself right now.
Last edited:
Lord Platypus
Probably Not a Real Platypus
- Location
- Smelling your hair
The black text clashes with the space theme.
Vaalintine
Wild Wondorous Wolfalope
The colored text seems a bit extraneous to me. Aside from that, I'm looking forward to seeing where you'll go with this.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Yeah, thats the one thing i dont like bout this site compared to SB & QQ. Still i normally have the white layout on because of a few black lantern si fics so i forgot about it.
Lord Platypus
Probably Not a Real Platypus
- Location
- Smelling your hair
I've seen some people compensate by using dark purple for black.
Revised Chapter Two.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Revised Chapter Two.
I enter the keep just as Ralof stands from the corpse of a dead Stormcloak and begins removing the Dragonborns binds.
"You're free now brother." Ralof announces, looking around the large circular room. "You might as well take Gunjars' gear, he won't need it anymore and the mage should be fine without it."
I nod when the two look to me and the Dragonborn immediately sets to looting the corpse.
"Names Ralof and that there is Samedi." Ralof speaks, squatting to help remove the dead mans boots. "You have a name?"
The Dragonborn says nothing, simply continuing with his work. Oh shit, the silent protagonist? How does that even work in reality?
"Ah, one of those." Ralof nods in understanding. Wait... what? "Alright if I call you Erland?"
The Dragonborn grunts, guess that's a yes but are we actually going to do this? Ignore the fact that he refuses to speak? Perhaps seeing something in my face, Ralof guesses wrong and decides to elaborate.
"It means stranger in the old tongue." he explains, searching through a nearby bag as he talks. "It can also mean foreigner so don't be confused if someone calls you by it."
I simply nod and look around awkwardly, I seem to be the only one with nothing to do and I hate when that happens.
"Here friend, you might as well take this. I still have mine and Erland here can take Gunjars." Ralof says after a few minutes of waiting for Erland to change, in his hand is the bag he'd been searching through. "It's enchanted, shoddy work though so I think the carry weight is only two hundred."
Oh sweet! Magic bag of holding, yoink!
The bag is pretty small, more of a fanny pack than a backpack, so I immediately belt it around my waist with the pouch on my right side. It has one big pouch and three smaller ones on the front, each pouch looks way too small to hold much of anything but as I watch, Erland manages to tuck the full length of an iron war axe into the main pouch without the bag deforming in shape or size.
Magic bag of holding indeed.
I don't know what weight of 200 means for future looting but I look forward to testing it out.
"Now, how do we get out of her-" Ralof begins, only to be cut off by shouting from the gate to the left.
"Come on soldier, keep moving!" a female voice calls out, not the murderous bitch from before. "Get that gate open, move."
"Quick, take cover." Hadvar hisses, rushing to one side of the gate.
Erland immediately moves to cover the other side of the gate, his war axe magically rising from his bag and into his hand. As for myself, I duck beneath the table and mentally scramble for a spell, seven cards are drawn from the deck and placed at the front of my mind, waiting to be activated with either a verbal or mental command.
I may not have any lands claimed at this time but I am standing inside a fortress keep on top of a mountain range, the entire placed is soaked in Mana.
Claiming lands simply allows me to use the mana from anywhere in the multiverse, while I'm standing on the land in question however, it's easy enough to siphon off some of the ambient mana to fuel my spells. Or so my fuzzy memories inform me.
I wont be able to power anything with a land cost higher than one and the effect will be far weaker than if i'd used a claimed land, but it should still be enough for this. Luckily enough, of the seven cards that I drew, two are red and one can be cast with the ambient mana of the land.
As the gate lowers to chest height, I dive out from under the table and cast the spell, the twin streams of fire around my arms glowing with a faint light.
"Chain Lightning!"
Just a few inches in front of my chest, a crackling orb of crimson electricity forms before launching forward as a bolt of lightning, the bolt streaks across the distance in the blink of an eye and strikes the female soldier in the left shoulder. An additional infusion of mana to the spell causes it to leap off of her and strike the two soldiers at her sides, shocking all three at the same time.
The spell is far too weak to actually kill them, the full spell does 3 damage and while 1 damage is more than enough to kill a normal, unarmored human, this doesn't even rate at 0.5 damage. However. It does cause them to scream and lock up however, one of the soldiers even dropping his weapon from the pain. This gives Erland and Ralof the opportunity to hop the knee high gate and attack the three, their axes swinging with brutal accuracy at neck height.
Three thumps are heard as the soldiers drop to the ground, their throats savaged and their blood spilling to the floor.
"Quick, loot the bodies and lets go." Ralof hisses, dropping to the ground to begin searching.
Erland moves to do the same with the woman and with a shrug I join them, uncaring of the blood I'm kneeling in as I strip the man of his Imperial light armor and equip it myself.
'Neat, self-sizing armor.' I note, feeling as the armor stretches and shrinks all over to perfectly fit me and my larger gut, same with the armored kilt, the gauntlet and the boots.
Heck, the female plate armor that Erland's equipped has completely changed into a male breastplate large enough to fit the muscular Nord. This is just one of those things they never mention in the game, all clothes must be enchanted to fit their buyer, no need for perfectly tailored clothing and all that it includes.
I also take the time to test my bag of holding, stuffing the soldiers sword inside and removing it with ease. There's no change in weight when I do and the bag almost seems like it knows what I want each time I put my hand inside, the sword hilt appearing in my palm no matter what angle I enter the bag from. I don't know how Erland managed to get his weapon to float from his bag like that but it's probably a trick I should pick up, maybe the telekinesis spell is involved or something.
"I've got a key here, let's try it with that door over there." Ralof calls out once we're all dressed, rushing across the room to the door in question.
Erland and I follow behind, the Nord stoically quiet while I just don't have anything to say right now, I'm not really the most social of people even at the best of times.
"Come on, let's get out of here before the dragon brings the whole tower down on our heads!" Ralof shouts, moving deeper into the keep.
As if waiting for the mans words, Alduin releases a loud roar and the tunnel in front of us collapses, leaving just the door to the left.
"Talos dammit, let's move." Ralof growls, kicking in the door.
As I expected, the door leads to a large break room/storage area, where two soldiers are rummaging through some barrels.
"Stormcloaks!" one soldier shouts as we rush into the room, drawing his sword from his waist. "Get them."
Damn it Ralof, Erland and I changed into Imperial armor, why couldn't you?
Unlike last time, I don't have any spells I can cast right now, I've already discarded my first hand for seven new spells and it will be another hour and some before I can discard again. Seems like there's a ten minute cost for each card I discard and draw, I just hope the same doesn't apply to cards that are played.
Luckily, the two soldiers are no match for Ralof and Erland, they're both quickly dispatched and the two set about looting the corpses. While that's going on, I make my way around the room and loot all the cooking and alchemy materials I can get my hands on, I know how important those skills can be so I don't want to pass up on free materials.
Unfortunately, none of the food is cooked and we don't have time for that so I probably won't be getting a hot meal until Riverwood, oh well.
"Ah, a storeroom, see if you can find any potions, we'll need them." Ralof commands, finished with his looting.
I immediately head over to the shelves and grab the potions on them, also nicking the salt pile and the eight gold coins inside the drawers at the same time. Following that, I head over to the barrel the two Imperials were looking through and grab the magicka, stamina and healing potions stored inside.
"Good, good, hold on to those mage." Ralof nods, heading for the door out of the room. "Let's keep moving."
I grab another potion off the table we pass and follow behind the two, moving deeper into the keep.
I enter the keep just as Ralof stands from the corpse of a dead Stormcloak and begins removing the Dragonborns binds.
"You're free now brother." Ralof announces, looking around the large circular room. "You might as well take Gunjars' gear, he won't need it anymore and the mage should be fine without it."
I nod when the two look to me and the Dragonborn immediately sets to looting the corpse.
"Names Ralof and that there is Samedi." Ralof speaks, squatting to help remove the dead mans boots. "You have a name?"
The Dragonborn says nothing, simply continuing with his work. Oh shit, the silent protagonist? How does that even work in reality?
"Ah, one of those." Ralof nods in understanding. Wait... what? "Alright if I call you Erland?"
The Dragonborn grunts, guess that's a yes but are we actually going to do this? Ignore the fact that he refuses to speak? Perhaps seeing something in my face, Ralof guesses wrong and decides to elaborate.
"It means stranger in the old tongue." he explains, searching through a nearby bag as he talks. "It can also mean foreigner so don't be confused if someone calls you by it."
I simply nod and look around awkwardly, I seem to be the only one with nothing to do and I hate when that happens.
"Here friend, you might as well take this. I still have mine and Erland here can take Gunjars." Ralof says after a few minutes of waiting for Erland to change, in his hand is the bag he'd been searching through. "It's enchanted, shoddy work though so I think the carry weight is only two hundred."
Oh sweet! Magic bag of holding, yoink!
The bag is pretty small, more of a fanny pack than a backpack, so I immediately belt it around my waist with the pouch on my right side. It has one big pouch and three smaller ones on the front, each pouch looks way too small to hold much of anything but as I watch, Erland manages to tuck the full length of an iron war axe into the main pouch without the bag deforming in shape or size.
Magic bag of holding indeed.
I don't know what weight of 200 means for future looting but I look forward to testing it out.
"Now, how do we get out of her-" Ralof begins, only to be cut off by shouting from the gate to the left.
"Come on soldier, keep moving!" a female voice calls out, not the murderous bitch from before. "Get that gate open, move."
"Quick, take cover." Hadvar hisses, rushing to one side of the gate.
Erland immediately moves to cover the other side of the gate, his war axe magically rising from his bag and into his hand. As for myself, I duck beneath the table and mentally scramble for a spell, seven cards are drawn from the deck and placed at the front of my mind, waiting to be activated with either a verbal or mental command.
I may not have any lands claimed at this time but I am standing inside a fortress keep on top of a mountain range, the entire placed is soaked in Mana.
Claiming lands simply allows me to use the mana from anywhere in the multiverse, while I'm standing on the land in question however, it's easy enough to siphon off some of the ambient mana to fuel my spells. Or so my fuzzy memories inform me.
I wont be able to power anything with a land cost higher than one and the effect will be far weaker than if i'd used a claimed land, but it should still be enough for this. Luckily enough, of the seven cards that I drew, two are red and one can be cast with the ambient mana of the land.
As the gate lowers to chest height, I dive out from under the table and cast the spell, the twin streams of fire around my arms glowing with a faint light.
"Chain Lightning!"
Just a few inches in front of my chest, a crackling orb of crimson electricity forms before launching forward as a bolt of lightning, the bolt streaks across the distance in the blink of an eye and strikes the female soldier in the left shoulder. An additional infusion of mana to the spell causes it to leap off of her and strike the two soldiers at her sides, shocking all three at the same time.
The spell is far too weak to actually kill them, the full spell does 3 damage and while 1 damage is more than enough to kill a normal, unarmored human, this doesn't even rate at 0.5 damage. However. It does cause them to scream and lock up however, one of the soldiers even dropping his weapon from the pain. This gives Erland and Ralof the opportunity to hop the knee high gate and attack the three, their axes swinging with brutal accuracy at neck height.
Three thumps are heard as the soldiers drop to the ground, their throats savaged and their blood spilling to the floor.
"Quick, loot the bodies and lets go." Ralof hisses, dropping to the ground to begin searching.
Erland moves to do the same with the woman and with a shrug I join them, uncaring of the blood I'm kneeling in as I strip the man of his Imperial light armor and equip it myself.
'Neat, self-sizing armor.' I note, feeling as the armor stretches and shrinks all over to perfectly fit me and my larger gut, same with the armored kilt, the gauntlet and the boots.
Heck, the female plate armor that Erland's equipped has completely changed into a male breastplate large enough to fit the muscular Nord. This is just one of those things they never mention in the game, all clothes must be enchanted to fit their buyer, no need for perfectly tailored clothing and all that it includes.
I also take the time to test my bag of holding, stuffing the soldiers sword inside and removing it with ease. There's no change in weight when I do and the bag almost seems like it knows what I want each time I put my hand inside, the sword hilt appearing in my palm no matter what angle I enter the bag from. I don't know how Erland managed to get his weapon to float from his bag like that but it's probably a trick I should pick up, maybe the telekinesis spell is involved or something.
"I've got a key here, let's try it with that door over there." Ralof calls out once we're all dressed, rushing across the room to the door in question.
Erland and I follow behind, the Nord stoically quiet while I just don't have anything to say right now, I'm not really the most social of people even at the best of times.
"Come on, let's get out of here before the dragon brings the whole tower down on our heads!" Ralof shouts, moving deeper into the keep.
As if waiting for the mans words, Alduin releases a loud roar and the tunnel in front of us collapses, leaving just the door to the left.
"Talos dammit, let's move." Ralof growls, kicking in the door.
As I expected, the door leads to a large break room/storage area, where two soldiers are rummaging through some barrels.
"Stormcloaks!" one soldier shouts as we rush into the room, drawing his sword from his waist. "Get them."
Damn it Ralof, Erland and I changed into Imperial armor, why couldn't you?
Unlike last time, I don't have any spells I can cast right now, I've already discarded my first hand for seven new spells and it will be another hour and some before I can discard again. Seems like there's a ten minute cost for each card I discard and draw, I just hope the same doesn't apply to cards that are played.
10 picture limit, look for the cards in the next post.
Luckily, the two soldiers are no match for Ralof and Erland, they're both quickly dispatched and the two set about looting the corpses. While that's going on, I make my way around the room and loot all the cooking and alchemy materials I can get my hands on, I know how important those skills can be so I don't want to pass up on free materials.
Unfortunately, none of the food is cooked and we don't have time for that so I probably won't be getting a hot meal until Riverwood, oh well.
"Ah, a storeroom, see if you can find any potions, we'll need them." Ralof commands, finished with his looting.
I immediately head over to the shelves and grab the potions on them, also nicking the salt pile and the eight gold coins inside the drawers at the same time. Following that, I head over to the barrel the two Imperials were looking through and grab the magicka, stamina and healing potions stored inside.
"Good, good, hold on to those mage." Ralof nods, heading for the door out of the room. "Let's keep moving."
I grab another potion off the table we pass and follow behind the two, moving deeper into the keep.
Cards from Ch 2.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Revised Chapter Three.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Revised Chapter Three.
We make it down a short hallway and some stairs before the sound of combat breaks out from up ahead, Ralof rushes forward and I hear him curse as he takes in the scene.
"Troll's blood! It's a torture room." Ralof hisses, drawing his sword and charging an older Imperial that was distracted with blasting a pair of Stormcloaks with lightning.
Erland and I follow close behind but the battle is over before we even get there, the old Imperial dead on the floor and the two Stormcloaks still alive.
"Is Jarl Ulfric with you?" One of the Stormcloaks asks, taking the three of us in.
"No, we went separate ways up above." Ralof replies, following his two comrades into the room.
Erland and I quietly follow along, well I do at least, the Dragonborn seems to have stopped to loot the dead Jailer. As we walk past the three cages, I excitedly look into the middle one, only to be disappointed as the corpse within is only wearing a waist cloth.
Damn, guess it wouldn't be like the game, the Jailer has absolutely no reason to allow a prisoner to keep his enchanted clothes or spell book.
"Wait a moment," Ralof says, bringing our small group to a stop as he turns to me. "I recognize the man in that cage, he was a mage much like you. Check the armory over there, there might be something useful you can use."
I don't even bristle at being ordered around again, I just dart for the open armory, which is definitely more equipped than the game version. I'm quick to loot the four iron swords and three bucklers before the Kleptoborn can get his hands on them, then I turn to the counter and grin as I find just what I'm looking for.
Changing into the enchanted Novice Robes and Novice Hood, I shiver as I feel the enchantments fall on me, like an aura of warm air swirling around me for just a few seconds. I don't know how Magicka Regeneration and Fortification will translate for my skills but I look forward to finding out.
The enchanted clothes aside, I grab the most important item on the counter, the Flames spell book. The book looks just like it does in the game, a black cover with the symbol of the Destruction school on the front but it seems to be tightly clasped with a golden chain. The chain clasp doesn't seem to be locked or magicked however as it easily comes apart when I tug at it and the book flips open, blue light shining from the pages as black dust swirls up towards my face.
Oh.
Oh..
Wow.
My hands drop to my side, the tome dissolving to dust and falling away. In the game, you learn spells by consuming books, the same seems to actually apply in reality. Why? Because spell books aren't actually books, they look like books and feel like books but they're not made of ink and paper, they're crystallized memories.
I don't know how it works but I now have the memory of properly casting the Flames spell many times and in a variety of ways, no wonder there were so many spell books around in the game, Skyrim doesn't have a printing press but every merchant seemed to always have some spell books for sale.
As fascinating as that is however, examining the memory of the unknown mage casting the Flames spell is far more surprising. Mostly because I completely recognize what he's doing and how, the mages of Skyrim are all capable of using Land magic.
I don't quite remember all of the lore but I'm pretty sure there's something about Magicka being the released energy of a dead god, if so then this makes some sense. It's not Land magic as Planeswalkers know it, there's no claiming land or siphoning colored mana from the surroundings involved, instead they somehow interact with the colorless mana around them and use it to fuel their spells.
Not using colored mana allows them to cast all forms of magic no matter where they are but the spell effect is so much weaker, casting the Flames spell with red mana would probably make it ten times more powerful than doing it with colorless.
Eh whatever, I'm not a scholar so this is just an interesting fact but not all that important to me, I'm more interested in the fact that I can actually use this form of magic as the ball of flame I call into life denotes. I mean, I'll probably never be able to use Harry Potter style magic due to the fact I have no magic core/pool to use, but external magic like this? Easy peasy.
More importantly however, I now have a flamethrower spell that I can use at any time, weaker than what I could do with one of my cards but still damn useful and effective.
'Winterhold college, here I come.' I chuckle as I make my way back to the group.
~X~
The rest of the journey from Helgen seems to go according to script, we pass through the prison area, the Kleptoborn and I only pausing to loot the skeletons and corpses we pass along the way. The tunnels below the keep pass with no trouble until we get to the large cavern with archers and Imperial soldiers, my first kill passes without note as I set one soldier on fire before igniting the oil beneath the archers and setting them on fire.
A quick round of looting commences.
Then it's into more tunnels once the flames die down, only to be cut off from the other two Stormcloaks when Alduin causes some of the tunnel to collapse, I take the time Ralof is using to speak with his comrades to find the sacks of gold lying beside two separate skeletons, how is there so much precious money just lying around all over the place?
Whatever, it's just one of those things I guess, at least I wont be disappointed if I ever go dungeon crawling.
Following the tunnels for a bit, Erland and I remain quiet while Ralof tries to strike up conversation every once in a while, it doesn't work too well. Eventually, we reach the Frostbite Spider cavern and I can't help but think how stupid the Imperials must be to have something like this leading right into their base, what would happen when all those egg sacs hatch and there are hundreds of hungry giant spiders looking for food?
Not a problem anymore as Ralof and Erland lay waste to the four giant spiders while I loot the sacs for eggs before setting the whole nest aflame, then we beat a hasty retreat as the whole place lights up. The tunnel continues some more before we reach the last cavern, our hasty retreat from the burning cavern causing Ralof to miss the bear until its too late, the thing is awake and bearing down on us.
Oh.. wow.
Erland can be really scary… the man just beat down and decapitated a full grown bear in less than a minute before just shrugging it off and getting to work skinning the thing. Mythical hero indeed. At least he's not my enemy, and if things go right then we'll probably be on the same side in the coming war, not that I plan on fighting but it's just something to note.
Still, everything seems to have gone hunky dory, we've escaped from Helgen and Alduin seems to have just flown off. Most importantly of all, I'm still alive. Hell yeah!
"No way to know if anyone else made it out alive." Ralof comments with a frown as we follow the mountain path towards Riverwood.
What's the point of having a secret exit to an Imperial keep if there's a path leading right up to it? Not even a natural path but one made by constant use and connected to a real stone road.
Oh, Ralof is still speaking
"-swarming with Imperials soon, we'd better clear out of here."
Right, don't want to be falsely arrested again, besides what are the chances they would check the nearby town for escaped prisoners… Right, let's spend as little time in Riverwood as possible, it would probably be better to avoid it completely but that's where these two are headed since Ralof has family.
As for me, I think I'll just stick with them until I can get a map or something, I don't really know my way around the area nor did I memorize the entire map from the game.
I know there's a bandit infested mine around here that I could probably raid but I have no clue how to find it and chances are high that it would probably just end with me dead, or worse. Bandits or not, they probably have some experience taking down mages and I don't really have much in my arsenal, my only advantage right now is that I seem to have an innate talent for channeling magicka so I could probably keep the Flames spell running indefinitely. That talent means that I could probably cast master level spells if I can get my hands on them, Magicka pools and regeneration seems to refer to how much raw magicka you can draw from the surroundings and how quickly you can do so, I'm a quasi-Planeswalker so the answer may as well be Yes.
Anywho, all this boils down to is that I should stick with my two allies here until I can get more spells in my arsenal and more lands in my collection.
'Speaking of lands…' I smirk as I tap into the surrounding mana with my spark and pull. 'One mountain claimed.'
Riverwood should count as a blue and if I can swing it and get Erland to accompany me, I can probably claim Bleak Falls Barrow as both a red and a black, that's where I plan on heading to next after all. There's plenty of loot in there, lots of undead as well as corpses for me to test my necromantic abilities on and most importantly of all, I want to take a look at that Dragon Wall. Because if all of Skyrim's magic is external, then I definitely want the power to use shouts, those could come in very handy in the future.
It shouldn't be too hard to swing it with Erland, I know there's something in there the Jarl of Whiterun wants and after spending so much time around this guy, I can reliably say that the promise of loot will sway him well enough.
"-help today, the both of you." Ralof's words interrupt my thoughts as he seems to break away from the party. "I want to check for other survivors so I'll meet you at my sisters place, just follow the road to Riverwood and ask for Gerdur."
With that he runs into the woods and leaves me with Erland, who just looks at me for a moment and continues down the road.
"So.." I say as I fall into step beside him. "I noticed how good you were with that axe, going to Whiterun will cost some coin, perhaps we can work together to raise some."
There's no reply as expected but he seems to be interested so I continue.
"I'm sure we can sell our loot in Riverwood for some gold but if you're interested, I might be able to pick us up some simple tasks such as hunting thieves and bandits, that could earn us some good coin."
Erland cocks his head to the side before nodding in assent, that's good enough for me, should be easy enough to talk him into heading for Bleak Falls with me.
It's at this time that we come up on the guardian stones, Erland doesn't even pause as he makes his way to the Warrior stone and places a hand on it, the stone glows with a blue light before firing a beam of light straight into the air. Erland remains still for a moment before stepping away, a fading aura of blue light surrounding him.
Huh, so those work the same as well? Cool but I think I'll pass.
This is a death world where both the divine and demonic gods use mortals as pawns, go trawling bars, own their own island and even sometimes kidnap people to send them on missions or by just leaving portals to what is considered hell lying around. Anything I can do to avoid their attention for as long as possible seems like a good idea, which means no interacting with the mysterious guardian stones or receiving any blessings from an alter.
Besides, I'm a quasi-Planeswalker, that includes the ability to easily breakdown and understand most forms of magic. My ability to understand and learn magic is already beyond that of most mages on this plane, I don't need something like the mage stone to help me.
Seeing that I'm not planning to use the stone, Erland grunts and continues down the path, and I fall into step behind him.
Riverwood, here we come.
We make it down a short hallway and some stairs before the sound of combat breaks out from up ahead, Ralof rushes forward and I hear him curse as he takes in the scene.
"Troll's blood! It's a torture room." Ralof hisses, drawing his sword and charging an older Imperial that was distracted with blasting a pair of Stormcloaks with lightning.
Erland and I follow close behind but the battle is over before we even get there, the old Imperial dead on the floor and the two Stormcloaks still alive.
"Is Jarl Ulfric with you?" One of the Stormcloaks asks, taking the three of us in.
"No, we went separate ways up above." Ralof replies, following his two comrades into the room.
Erland and I quietly follow along, well I do at least, the Dragonborn seems to have stopped to loot the dead Jailer. As we walk past the three cages, I excitedly look into the middle one, only to be disappointed as the corpse within is only wearing a waist cloth.
Damn, guess it wouldn't be like the game, the Jailer has absolutely no reason to allow a prisoner to keep his enchanted clothes or spell book.
"Wait a moment," Ralof says, bringing our small group to a stop as he turns to me. "I recognize the man in that cage, he was a mage much like you. Check the armory over there, there might be something useful you can use."
I don't even bristle at being ordered around again, I just dart for the open armory, which is definitely more equipped than the game version. I'm quick to loot the four iron swords and three bucklers before the Kleptoborn can get his hands on them, then I turn to the counter and grin as I find just what I'm looking for.
Changing into the enchanted Novice Robes and Novice Hood, I shiver as I feel the enchantments fall on me, like an aura of warm air swirling around me for just a few seconds. I don't know how Magicka Regeneration and Fortification will translate for my skills but I look forward to finding out.
The enchanted clothes aside, I grab the most important item on the counter, the Flames spell book. The book looks just like it does in the game, a black cover with the symbol of the Destruction school on the front but it seems to be tightly clasped with a golden chain. The chain clasp doesn't seem to be locked or magicked however as it easily comes apart when I tug at it and the book flips open, blue light shining from the pages as black dust swirls up towards my face.
Oh.
Oh..
Wow.
My hands drop to my side, the tome dissolving to dust and falling away. In the game, you learn spells by consuming books, the same seems to actually apply in reality. Why? Because spell books aren't actually books, they look like books and feel like books but they're not made of ink and paper, they're crystallized memories.
I don't know how it works but I now have the memory of properly casting the Flames spell many times and in a variety of ways, no wonder there were so many spell books around in the game, Skyrim doesn't have a printing press but every merchant seemed to always have some spell books for sale.
As fascinating as that is however, examining the memory of the unknown mage casting the Flames spell is far more surprising. Mostly because I completely recognize what he's doing and how, the mages of Skyrim are all capable of using Land magic.
I don't quite remember all of the lore but I'm pretty sure there's something about Magicka being the released energy of a dead god, if so then this makes some sense. It's not Land magic as Planeswalkers know it, there's no claiming land or siphoning colored mana from the surroundings involved, instead they somehow interact with the colorless mana around them and use it to fuel their spells.
Not using colored mana allows them to cast all forms of magic no matter where they are but the spell effect is so much weaker, casting the Flames spell with red mana would probably make it ten times more powerful than doing it with colorless.
Eh whatever, I'm not a scholar so this is just an interesting fact but not all that important to me, I'm more interested in the fact that I can actually use this form of magic as the ball of flame I call into life denotes. I mean, I'll probably never be able to use Harry Potter style magic due to the fact I have no magic core/pool to use, but external magic like this? Easy peasy.
More importantly however, I now have a flamethrower spell that I can use at any time, weaker than what I could do with one of my cards but still damn useful and effective.
'Winterhold college, here I come.' I chuckle as I make my way back to the group.
~X~
The rest of the journey from Helgen seems to go according to script, we pass through the prison area, the Kleptoborn and I only pausing to loot the skeletons and corpses we pass along the way. The tunnels below the keep pass with no trouble until we get to the large cavern with archers and Imperial soldiers, my first kill passes without note as I set one soldier on fire before igniting the oil beneath the archers and setting them on fire.
A quick round of looting commences.
Then it's into more tunnels once the flames die down, only to be cut off from the other two Stormcloaks when Alduin causes some of the tunnel to collapse, I take the time Ralof is using to speak with his comrades to find the sacks of gold lying beside two separate skeletons, how is there so much precious money just lying around all over the place?
Whatever, it's just one of those things I guess, at least I wont be disappointed if I ever go dungeon crawling.
Following the tunnels for a bit, Erland and I remain quiet while Ralof tries to strike up conversation every once in a while, it doesn't work too well. Eventually, we reach the Frostbite Spider cavern and I can't help but think how stupid the Imperials must be to have something like this leading right into their base, what would happen when all those egg sacs hatch and there are hundreds of hungry giant spiders looking for food?
Not a problem anymore as Ralof and Erland lay waste to the four giant spiders while I loot the sacs for eggs before setting the whole nest aflame, then we beat a hasty retreat as the whole place lights up. The tunnel continues some more before we reach the last cavern, our hasty retreat from the burning cavern causing Ralof to miss the bear until its too late, the thing is awake and bearing down on us.
Oh.. wow.
Erland can be really scary… the man just beat down and decapitated a full grown bear in less than a minute before just shrugging it off and getting to work skinning the thing. Mythical hero indeed. At least he's not my enemy, and if things go right then we'll probably be on the same side in the coming war, not that I plan on fighting but it's just something to note.
Still, everything seems to have gone hunky dory, we've escaped from Helgen and Alduin seems to have just flown off. Most importantly of all, I'm still alive. Hell yeah!
"No way to know if anyone else made it out alive." Ralof comments with a frown as we follow the mountain path towards Riverwood.
What's the point of having a secret exit to an Imperial keep if there's a path leading right up to it? Not even a natural path but one made by constant use and connected to a real stone road.
Oh, Ralof is still speaking
"-swarming with Imperials soon, we'd better clear out of here."
Right, don't want to be falsely arrested again, besides what are the chances they would check the nearby town for escaped prisoners… Right, let's spend as little time in Riverwood as possible, it would probably be better to avoid it completely but that's where these two are headed since Ralof has family.
As for me, I think I'll just stick with them until I can get a map or something, I don't really know my way around the area nor did I memorize the entire map from the game.
I know there's a bandit infested mine around here that I could probably raid but I have no clue how to find it and chances are high that it would probably just end with me dead, or worse. Bandits or not, they probably have some experience taking down mages and I don't really have much in my arsenal, my only advantage right now is that I seem to have an innate talent for channeling magicka so I could probably keep the Flames spell running indefinitely. That talent means that I could probably cast master level spells if I can get my hands on them, Magicka pools and regeneration seems to refer to how much raw magicka you can draw from the surroundings and how quickly you can do so, I'm a quasi-Planeswalker so the answer may as well be Yes.
Anywho, all this boils down to is that I should stick with my two allies here until I can get more spells in my arsenal and more lands in my collection.
'Speaking of lands…' I smirk as I tap into the surrounding mana with my spark and pull. 'One mountain claimed.'
Riverwood should count as a blue and if I can swing it and get Erland to accompany me, I can probably claim Bleak Falls Barrow as both a red and a black, that's where I plan on heading to next after all. There's plenty of loot in there, lots of undead as well as corpses for me to test my necromantic abilities on and most importantly of all, I want to take a look at that Dragon Wall. Because if all of Skyrim's magic is external, then I definitely want the power to use shouts, those could come in very handy in the future.
It shouldn't be too hard to swing it with Erland, I know there's something in there the Jarl of Whiterun wants and after spending so much time around this guy, I can reliably say that the promise of loot will sway him well enough.
"-help today, the both of you." Ralof's words interrupt my thoughts as he seems to break away from the party. "I want to check for other survivors so I'll meet you at my sisters place, just follow the road to Riverwood and ask for Gerdur."
With that he runs into the woods and leaves me with Erland, who just looks at me for a moment and continues down the road.
"So.." I say as I fall into step beside him. "I noticed how good you were with that axe, going to Whiterun will cost some coin, perhaps we can work together to raise some."
There's no reply as expected but he seems to be interested so I continue.
"I'm sure we can sell our loot in Riverwood for some gold but if you're interested, I might be able to pick us up some simple tasks such as hunting thieves and bandits, that could earn us some good coin."
Erland cocks his head to the side before nodding in assent, that's good enough for me, should be easy enough to talk him into heading for Bleak Falls with me.
It's at this time that we come up on the guardian stones, Erland doesn't even pause as he makes his way to the Warrior stone and places a hand on it, the stone glows with a blue light before firing a beam of light straight into the air. Erland remains still for a moment before stepping away, a fading aura of blue light surrounding him.
Huh, so those work the same as well? Cool but I think I'll pass.
This is a death world where both the divine and demonic gods use mortals as pawns, go trawling bars, own their own island and even sometimes kidnap people to send them on missions or by just leaving portals to what is considered hell lying around. Anything I can do to avoid their attention for as long as possible seems like a good idea, which means no interacting with the mysterious guardian stones or receiving any blessings from an alter.
Besides, I'm a quasi-Planeswalker, that includes the ability to easily breakdown and understand most forms of magic. My ability to understand and learn magic is already beyond that of most mages on this plane, I don't need something like the mage stone to help me.
Seeing that I'm not planning to use the stone, Erland grunts and continues down the path, and I fall into step behind him.
Riverwood, here we come.
Last edited:
WinterKnight
Keeper of the Shinies
- Location
- Higher than sky high
Lore-wise I'm pretty sure shouts are powered by the user's life energy or something like that
- Location
- norway
followed
i hope this story doesn't die
i hope this story doesn't die
Revised Chapter Four.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
Revised Chapter Four.
'I can't believe something like this would happen to me of all people.' I think, sighing as I rolled onto my side on the scratchy straw bed.
It's been roughly three hour since Erland and I entered Riverwood, much to my displeasure however, the sun had already set before we got into town so we couldn't visit any of the closed shops. Deciding to deal with it the next day, I'd gone straight for the inn while Erland had gone to meet Ralof and his sister. I really don't plan on getting drawn into the main plot of the game so I'm trying to stay as far away from all events involved as possible, namely by paying for a room so Ralof couldn't conscript me into reporting to the Jarl of Whiterun and by practically ignoring Delphine while in the building.
As well as an effort to avoid the plot, I'd also come here for one other reason, the Alchemy table.
Hadn't that been an irritating letdown.
At first I'd been incredibly excited to find that making potions was as simple as the game showed, in fact, it was so simple that even an untrained child could make the most complicated potions out there, provided they could read the list of potions and their ingredients plastered right next to the table. All you had to do to make a potion was collect the right ingredients, crush and mix them in a vial or bowl and place it on the glowing green center of the Alchemy table. Then you just had to channel some magicka into the table to activate it, the small coal stove would heat the water and the liquid would move through the four beakers before seeping into your container, wait ten to twenty minutes to mix it all together and you're done.
So easy, so simple, yet impossible for me to do.
Yup, the easiest bit of magic on this plane and I can't use it. As it turns out, alchemy is considered blue/green as far as my powers are concerned, no matter what type of potion I try or what color of mana I use in the making, everything I make comes out as magicless goop. I'd expected something like that for making poisons but even healing and magicka potions? That's just not fair.
Luckily, prepared potions work on me when ingested, I'll just have to buy anything I need or hire someone to make potions for me.
On a more positive note, I now have a blue land in my collection.
Claiming Riverwood had been the first thing I'd done after entering the village, the large river running beside the small town making it a blue land as far as my powers are concerned. Too bad that river also allows them to light their dead on fire and send them out to sea, which means no cemetery for me to claim as a black land.
Other than the land claiming and the disappointment of Alchemy, nothing else had happened. So here I am, all alone in the town inn with my bag under my pillow and my rooms dresser in front of the door because this is Skyrim, land of the Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood and roving groups of bandits, not blocking the door would be the dumbest thing ever.
Speaking of Skyrim..
I haven't been able to spend much time thinking on my situation, I've already acknowledged that I won't see my friends and family ever again yet that doesn't seem to sadden or terrify me, in fact, I'm damn near calm and accepting of the whole situation. Strange. What thoughts that do pass through my drowsy mind are on the people I killed today, they may have been trying to kill me at the time but I murdered people today, soldiers just following orders and doing their job.
I don't know why I haven't freaked out about that yet, maybe it's just the shock, but I expect it to wear off soon. I'm not looking forward to sleeping right now, the day I've had is the kind to give you nightmares for some time.
.
.
.
My night is peaceful and dreamless.
~X~
"I'll give you seven hundred and twenty-eight gold for the whole lot." Lucan Valerius murmurs, yawning as he does so. I don't blame the guy, it's only an hour past sunrise and I'd woken him up just a few minutes ago.
Strangely enough, my night had been quite restful, I'd only slept for six hours or so but I'd woken up far more energized than I've been in a long time.
"That sounds pretty reasonable." I reply, glancing down at the pile of weapons, armor and alchemy ingredients on the counter. All of this was stuff I'd looted on my way out of Helgen and due to ongoing war, the price for weapons and armor was up, which was good for me as I had no problem selling the lot.
'I should look into some thick, enchanted armor though.' I muse as Lucan goes about opening his safe. 'Robes may be the look for mages but they don't provide much protection, better to go for the Death Knight look than get taken out by something mundane like a knife or arrow.'
Having received seven small bags of coins, and I still find it weird that everything is rounded to the nearest Septim as they don't have any smaller change, I take the chance to speak with Lucan as he counts out the twenty-eight remaining coins.
"What do you have in the way of spell tomes?" I ask, hoping against hope that he has a decent enough selection.
He frowns and pauses for a moment before returning to his counting.
"Same as any other store, the college has us keep a few sets of the novice stuff in case any of the young ones show talent." Lucan answers after passing the coins to me, I leave them on the counter as I'm not done shopping. "If you want anything more advanced, you'll have to check with the Jarl's court mage in Whiterun or make your way to the college in Winterhold."
A full set of novice spells? Squee!
"No, no, the novice stuff is fine. I'll take one of each book." I reply, not even bothering to keep the grin off my face.
Lucan snorts and mutters something about 'Mages' before making his way to an old looking chest behind the counter. As he does that, I take a look at what he has for sale in the way of armor, none of the stuff I just sold him though because no way am I running around dressed as either an Imperial or Stormcloak.
The robes and armor are all neatly displayed on tables and counters, each article coming with a list of the materials involved and any enchantments in place. There isn't much of it though and none of it is of high quality, the best armor here is made of iron so no plate or ebony armor for me. Oh well, I remember a few bandit forts that I can probably raid for the rarer stuff at a later time. I don't think I'll be getting any heavy armor for some time though, I'm not really in the best of shape so I don't think lugging a full suit of metal armor while we assault Bleak Falls Barrow is a good idea, best to stick with the lighter armor until I'm in better shape or able to cheat with magic.
"Full set of Novice spell books, that'll be six hundred Septims." Lucan comments, setting fourteen books down on the counter.
"Er.. can I also get that set of leather armor?" I ask, pointing at the unenchanted set of leather armor off to the side.
"Seven twenty-five." Lucan replies, moving towards the armor in question.
Grimacing at the cost, I take three coins from the money he paid me and push the rest back towards his side of the counter, with my looted coins from Helgen I only have 53 Septims on hand but at least I'll still have enough to buy some foodstuffs, clothes and other supplies for the coming trip. Luckily, I'd decided to keep my Imperial light boots and bracers so I don't need to buy a new set, and since the leather armor in question comes with pants rather than the silly kilt, I can wear my enchanted Novice Robe over it.
I might not need the mage apparel anymore since all the enchantments on it do is increase how much magicka the wearer can channel at a time, a number that is already ridiculously high for me, but I like how it looks and it'll help to hide my leather armor so most enemies won't feel the need to apply too much force to kill me.
As Lucan brings the armor back to the counter, I decide to finally move to the most important matter, the Golden Dragon Claw.
"Thank you sir." I say, tucking the armor and books into my pouch. "I also had something I wanted to speak with you about."
"Oh?" he asks, brow raised. "I hope you"re not another suitor looking for my sisters hand."
"No, no, never even met the girl." I reply shaking my head. "I'm actually talking about your missing Dragon Claw, word around town is that it was stolen?"
"That it was." He grunts, eyes narrowing. "What's it to you?"
"Ah, well a friend and I are planning to head up to Bleak Falls Barrow to retrieve something from the Jarl, perhaps we might also be able to retrieve your claw while we're there?"
"Oh yeah? Not out of the goodness of your heart I suppose." Lucan snorts, leaning on the wall to his side.
"Well if it was up to me sure, I quite enjoyed my time here." I reply, keeping my expression friendly. "My friend on the other hand, well he has quite the thing for money and loot as you'll find when he stops by later today."
Lucan sighs at that before frowning and looking to his safe. "Very well, you and your friend retrieve my Claw and there'll be five hundred gold waiting for you, agreed?"
"That sounds perfectly fine sir." I nod, making my way for the door. "My friend will be by later to sell some things, we'll bring your claw back as soon as possible."
~X~
Sitting just outside the town gate where I'd arranged to meet Erland, I'm practically gleeful as I pull one book after another from my bag, I'd already wasted enough time by stopping by the inn to change into my new armor.
'Finally!' I cheer, pulling the last book from the bag and placing it with the others from the same school. 'Now what do I learn first?'
Seeing as I'm going into battle soon, I should probably learn the Destruction spells first, not that it matters since I plan to learn them all. Grabbing the Frostbite and Sparks books, I frown as I realize that I'd payed for a Flames book that I don't need.
Oh well, I'll just have to resell it, I don't think using it will do anything to improve my current skill with the spell and breaking the seal will make it unsaleable. Turning to the other two books, I break the clasp with a light tug, opening the Frostbite book first and the Sparks one shortly after. Both glow with the same pale blue light as the memories flow into my mind, each slotting with the Flames spell to hover somewhere deep inside my mind, and just like that I can now fling balls of ice and pull a convincing Sith impersonation.
With a flick of each wrist, a ball of chilling cold forms in my left hand while arcs of sparkling lightning buzz around my right, oh I am so going to enjoy this.
Right, combat also involves danger so I should do the Restoration spells next.
Grabbing the Healing and Lesser Ward spell books, I look between the two before deciding to learn healing first, potions are nice an all but being able to take care of my own wounds is way more comforting. Removing the chain and flipping the book open, I watch as the pages glow blue before the stream of black rushes for my face then I-PAIN!
Holy gods my brain in on fire!
.
.
.
Oh thank god it's over.
Unfolding from the fetal position, I loosen the tight grip I have on my temples and cough, wheezing and gasping as blood splatters on the ground in front of me.
"Oh you son of a bitch ROB." I groan, moving to sit up as the last of the pain fades, not fully gone but not so mind numbing anymore.
That... that was the worst pain ever, it was like my brain was being flayed and branded at the same time. What the hell happened? Even as I look to the pile of dust in my lap, my new instincts in matters of magic rise to assist, allowing me to slowly piece together a workable theory. A theory that I am far from pleased with.
Restoration is the school of magic based around healing injuries and creating barriers, in Planeswalker terms however, healing and barrier magic all fall under White. This is not normally an issue for a Planeswalker but I'm not a true Planeswalker, just a skewed copy created to entertain a higher being, a skewed copy that had two specific colors of mana closed off to it; White and Green.
Even worse, all Restoration spells are built off the same magical matrix, meaning that everything from the novice level spells to the master level magic is blocked off to me. That includes the spells built to scare Undead and even the one made to heal Undead, if it falls under the Restoration school of magic, then trying to learn it will just bring mind numbing pain.
"Fuck."
What else can I say?
~X~
It takes me several minutes to get past the incident, the excitement of magic allowing me to push my annoyance aside and return to my task. The Lesser Ward spell book goes back into my pouch with the Flames book for reselling and I turn back to the pile, I don't really need these for the coming fight but I want to round out my knowledge as much as possible so I'll be studying these schools as well.
Thankfully, the incident isn't repeated as I go through the Conjuration spell books and in quick order, I manage to learn Bound Dagger, Bound Sword, Conjure Familiar and Raise Zombie. While Restoration could be considered fully White and Destruction a mix of Red and Blue, Conjuration is completely Black, this is the school that I would need to focus the majority of my attention on should I ever join the college.
Of the four spells I'd learned, the last two are the most important as far as I'm concerned, bound weapons might be incredibly useful in some situations but they don't beat an undying ghostly companion or the power to raise the corpses of your enemies to fight for you. Sure the familiar might be a ghostly wolf that is probably only 1/0 in strength, and the Raise Zombie spell may only work on weak corpses, but they're both really useful as far as novice spells go and they fit well with my emerging style/theme. What sort of necromancer would I be if I couldn't summon spirits or raise the dead?
Testing all four spells and discovering that yes, the raise zombie spell does work on dead bugs, I move on to the next school.
The moment I learn the first spell of the Illusion school, I wholly agree that Illusion falls under Blue. Mostly all of the spells that I remember from this school are about affecting the mind or fooling the senses, something that describes Blue to a tee. Having learned Clairvoyance, perhaps one of the most powerful and useful spells on this plane, I flip open the Courage and Fury books one after the other. While I'll have to wait to test the latter two, Clairvoyance seems to work much like the name suggests: think of a target -be it a person, place or thing-, cast the spell and follow the mist-like illusion that leads to your target.
Even with my natural talents, I don't fully understand how the spell works, only that there's some scrying involved, that the spell seems to just pull the answers out of the air and that only properly applied anti-scrying methods can block it. Short of that, it can find anyone/anything/anywhere no matter the distance.
So OP.
Sighing to release my excitement, I turn to the last two books on the ground and frown. As if the stylized tree drawn on the cover isn't hint enough, my instincts take the opportunity to warn me that I probably can't learn these spells, Alteration seems to fall under Green and trying to learn it will bring nothing more that mind numbing pain.
And that just pisses me off, it pisses me off way more than being unable to learn Restoration does. Not being able to heal or cast barriers I can deal with, after all healing potions are a thing, I can even handle being unable to use the skin hardening and light creation powers of Alteration. What I can't stand, is being completely unable to use the Transmute Ore spell. Seriously, unlimited gold and silver was right there at my fingertips and I'm being blocked by something as pathetic as a wrong choice in colors.
Damn it.
Sighing again, I return the two books to my pouch and lean back against the town wall, sometimes life can be really unfair.
'Whatever, I'll just have to steal a Philosopher Stone from Potterverse.' I grumble, looking back at the town in the hopes that Erland would hurry the hell up. 'And if that fails… well, zombies can still swing pickaxes can't they?'
'I can't believe something like this would happen to me of all people.' I think, sighing as I rolled onto my side on the scratchy straw bed.
It's been roughly three hour since Erland and I entered Riverwood, much to my displeasure however, the sun had already set before we got into town so we couldn't visit any of the closed shops. Deciding to deal with it the next day, I'd gone straight for the inn while Erland had gone to meet Ralof and his sister. I really don't plan on getting drawn into the main plot of the game so I'm trying to stay as far away from all events involved as possible, namely by paying for a room so Ralof couldn't conscript me into reporting to the Jarl of Whiterun and by practically ignoring Delphine while in the building.
As well as an effort to avoid the plot, I'd also come here for one other reason, the Alchemy table.
Hadn't that been an irritating letdown.
At first I'd been incredibly excited to find that making potions was as simple as the game showed, in fact, it was so simple that even an untrained child could make the most complicated potions out there, provided they could read the list of potions and their ingredients plastered right next to the table. All you had to do to make a potion was collect the right ingredients, crush and mix them in a vial or bowl and place it on the glowing green center of the Alchemy table. Then you just had to channel some magicka into the table to activate it, the small coal stove would heat the water and the liquid would move through the four beakers before seeping into your container, wait ten to twenty minutes to mix it all together and you're done.
So easy, so simple, yet impossible for me to do.
Yup, the easiest bit of magic on this plane and I can't use it. As it turns out, alchemy is considered blue/green as far as my powers are concerned, no matter what type of potion I try or what color of mana I use in the making, everything I make comes out as magicless goop. I'd expected something like that for making poisons but even healing and magicka potions? That's just not fair.
Luckily, prepared potions work on me when ingested, I'll just have to buy anything I need or hire someone to make potions for me.
On a more positive note, I now have a blue land in my collection.
Claiming Riverwood had been the first thing I'd done after entering the village, the large river running beside the small town making it a blue land as far as my powers are concerned. Too bad that river also allows them to light their dead on fire and send them out to sea, which means no cemetery for me to claim as a black land.
Other than the land claiming and the disappointment of Alchemy, nothing else had happened. So here I am, all alone in the town inn with my bag under my pillow and my rooms dresser in front of the door because this is Skyrim, land of the Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood and roving groups of bandits, not blocking the door would be the dumbest thing ever.
Speaking of Skyrim..
I haven't been able to spend much time thinking on my situation, I've already acknowledged that I won't see my friends and family ever again yet that doesn't seem to sadden or terrify me, in fact, I'm damn near calm and accepting of the whole situation. Strange. What thoughts that do pass through my drowsy mind are on the people I killed today, they may have been trying to kill me at the time but I murdered people today, soldiers just following orders and doing their job.
I don't know why I haven't freaked out about that yet, maybe it's just the shock, but I expect it to wear off soon. I'm not looking forward to sleeping right now, the day I've had is the kind to give you nightmares for some time.
.
.
.
My night is peaceful and dreamless.
~X~
"I'll give you seven hundred and twenty-eight gold for the whole lot." Lucan Valerius murmurs, yawning as he does so. I don't blame the guy, it's only an hour past sunrise and I'd woken him up just a few minutes ago.
Strangely enough, my night had been quite restful, I'd only slept for six hours or so but I'd woken up far more energized than I've been in a long time.
"That sounds pretty reasonable." I reply, glancing down at the pile of weapons, armor and alchemy ingredients on the counter. All of this was stuff I'd looted on my way out of Helgen and due to ongoing war, the price for weapons and armor was up, which was good for me as I had no problem selling the lot.
'I should look into some thick, enchanted armor though.' I muse as Lucan goes about opening his safe. 'Robes may be the look for mages but they don't provide much protection, better to go for the Death Knight look than get taken out by something mundane like a knife or arrow.'
Having received seven small bags of coins, and I still find it weird that everything is rounded to the nearest Septim as they don't have any smaller change, I take the chance to speak with Lucan as he counts out the twenty-eight remaining coins.
"What do you have in the way of spell tomes?" I ask, hoping against hope that he has a decent enough selection.
He frowns and pauses for a moment before returning to his counting.
"Same as any other store, the college has us keep a few sets of the novice stuff in case any of the young ones show talent." Lucan answers after passing the coins to me, I leave them on the counter as I'm not done shopping. "If you want anything more advanced, you'll have to check with the Jarl's court mage in Whiterun or make your way to the college in Winterhold."
A full set of novice spells? Squee!
"No, no, the novice stuff is fine. I'll take one of each book." I reply, not even bothering to keep the grin off my face.
Lucan snorts and mutters something about 'Mages' before making his way to an old looking chest behind the counter. As he does that, I take a look at what he has for sale in the way of armor, none of the stuff I just sold him though because no way am I running around dressed as either an Imperial or Stormcloak.
The robes and armor are all neatly displayed on tables and counters, each article coming with a list of the materials involved and any enchantments in place. There isn't much of it though and none of it is of high quality, the best armor here is made of iron so no plate or ebony armor for me. Oh well, I remember a few bandit forts that I can probably raid for the rarer stuff at a later time. I don't think I'll be getting any heavy armor for some time though, I'm not really in the best of shape so I don't think lugging a full suit of metal armor while we assault Bleak Falls Barrow is a good idea, best to stick with the lighter armor until I'm in better shape or able to cheat with magic.
"Full set of Novice spell books, that'll be six hundred Septims." Lucan comments, setting fourteen books down on the counter.
"Er.. can I also get that set of leather armor?" I ask, pointing at the unenchanted set of leather armor off to the side.
"Seven twenty-five." Lucan replies, moving towards the armor in question.
Grimacing at the cost, I take three coins from the money he paid me and push the rest back towards his side of the counter, with my looted coins from Helgen I only have 53 Septims on hand but at least I'll still have enough to buy some foodstuffs, clothes and other supplies for the coming trip. Luckily, I'd decided to keep my Imperial light boots and bracers so I don't need to buy a new set, and since the leather armor in question comes with pants rather than the silly kilt, I can wear my enchanted Novice Robe over it.
I might not need the mage apparel anymore since all the enchantments on it do is increase how much magicka the wearer can channel at a time, a number that is already ridiculously high for me, but I like how it looks and it'll help to hide my leather armor so most enemies won't feel the need to apply too much force to kill me.
As Lucan brings the armor back to the counter, I decide to finally move to the most important matter, the Golden Dragon Claw.
"Thank you sir." I say, tucking the armor and books into my pouch. "I also had something I wanted to speak with you about."
"Oh?" he asks, brow raised. "I hope you"re not another suitor looking for my sisters hand."
"No, no, never even met the girl." I reply shaking my head. "I'm actually talking about your missing Dragon Claw, word around town is that it was stolen?"
"That it was." He grunts, eyes narrowing. "What's it to you?"
"Ah, well a friend and I are planning to head up to Bleak Falls Barrow to retrieve something from the Jarl, perhaps we might also be able to retrieve your claw while we're there?"
"Oh yeah? Not out of the goodness of your heart I suppose." Lucan snorts, leaning on the wall to his side.
"Well if it was up to me sure, I quite enjoyed my time here." I reply, keeping my expression friendly. "My friend on the other hand, well he has quite the thing for money and loot as you'll find when he stops by later today."
Lucan sighs at that before frowning and looking to his safe. "Very well, you and your friend retrieve my Claw and there'll be five hundred gold waiting for you, agreed?"
"That sounds perfectly fine sir." I nod, making my way for the door. "My friend will be by later to sell some things, we'll bring your claw back as soon as possible."
~X~
Sitting just outside the town gate where I'd arranged to meet Erland, I'm practically gleeful as I pull one book after another from my bag, I'd already wasted enough time by stopping by the inn to change into my new armor.
'Finally!' I cheer, pulling the last book from the bag and placing it with the others from the same school. 'Now what do I learn first?'
Seeing as I'm going into battle soon, I should probably learn the Destruction spells first, not that it matters since I plan to learn them all. Grabbing the Frostbite and Sparks books, I frown as I realize that I'd payed for a Flames book that I don't need.
Oh well, I'll just have to resell it, I don't think using it will do anything to improve my current skill with the spell and breaking the seal will make it unsaleable. Turning to the other two books, I break the clasp with a light tug, opening the Frostbite book first and the Sparks one shortly after. Both glow with the same pale blue light as the memories flow into my mind, each slotting with the Flames spell to hover somewhere deep inside my mind, and just like that I can now fling balls of ice and pull a convincing Sith impersonation.
With a flick of each wrist, a ball of chilling cold forms in my left hand while arcs of sparkling lightning buzz around my right, oh I am so going to enjoy this.
Right, combat also involves danger so I should do the Restoration spells next.
Grabbing the Healing and Lesser Ward spell books, I look between the two before deciding to learn healing first, potions are nice an all but being able to take care of my own wounds is way more comforting. Removing the chain and flipping the book open, I watch as the pages glow blue before the stream of black rushes for my face then I-PAIN!
Holy gods my brain in on fire!
.
.
.
Oh thank god it's over.
Unfolding from the fetal position, I loosen the tight grip I have on my temples and cough, wheezing and gasping as blood splatters on the ground in front of me.
"Oh you son of a bitch ROB." I groan, moving to sit up as the last of the pain fades, not fully gone but not so mind numbing anymore.
That... that was the worst pain ever, it was like my brain was being flayed and branded at the same time. What the hell happened? Even as I look to the pile of dust in my lap, my new instincts in matters of magic rise to assist, allowing me to slowly piece together a workable theory. A theory that I am far from pleased with.
Restoration is the school of magic based around healing injuries and creating barriers, in Planeswalker terms however, healing and barrier magic all fall under White. This is not normally an issue for a Planeswalker but I'm not a true Planeswalker, just a skewed copy created to entertain a higher being, a skewed copy that had two specific colors of mana closed off to it; White and Green.
Even worse, all Restoration spells are built off the same magical matrix, meaning that everything from the novice level spells to the master level magic is blocked off to me. That includes the spells built to scare Undead and even the one made to heal Undead, if it falls under the Restoration school of magic, then trying to learn it will just bring mind numbing pain.
"Fuck."
What else can I say?
~X~
It takes me several minutes to get past the incident, the excitement of magic allowing me to push my annoyance aside and return to my task. The Lesser Ward spell book goes back into my pouch with the Flames book for reselling and I turn back to the pile, I don't really need these for the coming fight but I want to round out my knowledge as much as possible so I'll be studying these schools as well.
Thankfully, the incident isn't repeated as I go through the Conjuration spell books and in quick order, I manage to learn Bound Dagger, Bound Sword, Conjure Familiar and Raise Zombie. While Restoration could be considered fully White and Destruction a mix of Red and Blue, Conjuration is completely Black, this is the school that I would need to focus the majority of my attention on should I ever join the college.
Of the four spells I'd learned, the last two are the most important as far as I'm concerned, bound weapons might be incredibly useful in some situations but they don't beat an undying ghostly companion or the power to raise the corpses of your enemies to fight for you. Sure the familiar might be a ghostly wolf that is probably only 1/0 in strength, and the Raise Zombie spell may only work on weak corpses, but they're both really useful as far as novice spells go and they fit well with my emerging style/theme. What sort of necromancer would I be if I couldn't summon spirits or raise the dead?
Testing all four spells and discovering that yes, the raise zombie spell does work on dead bugs, I move on to the next school.
The moment I learn the first spell of the Illusion school, I wholly agree that Illusion falls under Blue. Mostly all of the spells that I remember from this school are about affecting the mind or fooling the senses, something that describes Blue to a tee. Having learned Clairvoyance, perhaps one of the most powerful and useful spells on this plane, I flip open the Courage and Fury books one after the other. While I'll have to wait to test the latter two, Clairvoyance seems to work much like the name suggests: think of a target -be it a person, place or thing-, cast the spell and follow the mist-like illusion that leads to your target.
Even with my natural talents, I don't fully understand how the spell works, only that there's some scrying involved, that the spell seems to just pull the answers out of the air and that only properly applied anti-scrying methods can block it. Short of that, it can find anyone/anything/anywhere no matter the distance.
So OP.
Sighing to release my excitement, I turn to the last two books on the ground and frown. As if the stylized tree drawn on the cover isn't hint enough, my instincts take the opportunity to warn me that I probably can't learn these spells, Alteration seems to fall under Green and trying to learn it will bring nothing more that mind numbing pain.
And that just pisses me off, it pisses me off way more than being unable to learn Restoration does. Not being able to heal or cast barriers I can deal with, after all healing potions are a thing, I can even handle being unable to use the skin hardening and light creation powers of Alteration. What I can't stand, is being completely unable to use the Transmute Ore spell. Seriously, unlimited gold and silver was right there at my fingertips and I'm being blocked by something as pathetic as a wrong choice in colors.
Damn it.
Sighing again, I return the two books to my pouch and lean back against the town wall, sometimes life can be really unfair.
'Whatever, I'll just have to steal a Philosopher Stone from Potterverse.' I grumble, looking back at the town in the hopes that Erland would hurry the hell up. 'And if that fails… well, zombies can still swing pickaxes can't they?'
WinterKnight
Keeper of the Shinies
- Location
- Higher than sky high
I'd consider half of Alteration to be Blue. The Transmutations and Telekinesis and the like are all definitely Blue effects.
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
I'd agree too but I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to pain. No way would I risk frying my brain again just for a couple spells, no matter how useful they are.