Fire On The Mountain (A Skyrim Quest)

Do'azda's Character Sheet
Name: Do'azda Khrimnin
Race: Khajiit (Suthay-Raht)
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Profession: Shaman
Appearance/Description: She stands at a normal height for a Suthay-raht, that is to say, shorter than most men or mer, but not by too much. Her fur is a warm, rich orange, paler around her muzzle and down her neck, and her eyes are startlingly yellow. Her hair is braided, with rings that jangle faintly when she turns her head too fast. Her robes are basic, and worn from age, but have been fastidiously cleaned.
Level: 7
XP: 0/120

Alchemy: 25
Alteration: 5
Archery: 5
Block: 6
Conjuration: 40
Destruction: 5
Enchanting: 5
Heavy Armor: 5
Illusion: 35
Light Armor: 20
Lock Picking: 1
One-Handed: 21
Pickpocket: 5
Restoration: 15
Smithing: 1
Sneak: 20
Speech: 27
Survival: 13
Two-Handed: 5

They say it kills cats - Do'azda has few restraints on her inquisitive nature, asking whatever questions occur to her, paying little attention to whether this may be considered rude. Whatever else, at least Do'azda never finds herself regretting her failure to ask about something.

Dancing the night away - Do'azda is a fine dancer in the Elsweyr style, where dances are not the slow, ritualised partnering of the Altmer, but instead are a whirling piece of performance art, with the dancer's emotions informing the dance more than any practiced steps. Do'azda can feel the music in her bones, and can dance to only a drumbeat.

In the shadow of the moon - Do'azda was blessed even as she began her journey to become a shaman. A priestess of Azurah, the Mistress of Dusk and Dawn, favoured daughter of Fadomai, received a vision. Azurah's light shines favourable upon her.

Tangled Tails--Do'azda has had flings before, "Tangled Tails" as the euphemism goes, and she's willing to engage in casual relationships or 'one-night marriages' if the opportunity arises.

Racial Perks--

Claws--She has very wicked claws indeed.
Darksight--She can see incredibly well in the dark.

Skill Perks--

Conjuring Efficiency (10): Do'zada knows how to be careful with her Magicka without losing any power when she's Conjuring, and can use such magic more freely and easier when fighting or in other circumstances. (Cojuration)

Mystic Binding (20): Do'azda gains skill at creating bound weapons of magic, so that she is never without her arms no matter what. She also becomes more skilled at creating bound objects of all types, and begins to study that which might allow one to bind a soul into a gem. (Conjuration)

Haggling 1 (0): Everything in Skyrim is far more expensive, and so Do'azda should probably try to figure out how to make do with what little gold she has. (Speech)

Insight (20): One of the key elements of persuasion is knowing what would convince someone. Do'azda now knows how to evaluate what kinds of arguments and reasoning would convince different people if she spends enough time to get a feeling for how they think. (Speech)

Agile Defender (10): Armor is often hard to get used to, so figuring out how to move with light armor so as to reduce how bad a hit is is something you can only learn by doing… and Do'azda has begun to 'do.' (Light Armour)

Rahjin Perks

Laughter-Silvered Wings (Level 5): A flying companion does not simply owe its speed to its physical form, but the strength of its spirit, and so it tends to be faster and more manuverable than its terrestrial version, harder to hit, and a greater predator of the sky.

(Next at Level 8)

Blur - Do'azda knows a spell to obscure her features at a distance, to render her indistinguishable from another Khajiit. Up close, it is almost pathetically ineffective, however.
Clairvoyance - Do'azda is granted flashes of insight into the path to her goal by Azurah - the Goddess of Dawn and Dusk sees much of the land.
Conjure Animal - Do'azda reaches onto Hircine's hunting ground and recalls the imprint of an animal which perished nearby to fight by her side
Conjure Axe - Do'azda can create a hatchet from pure magic. It is too cumbersome for effective use in combat, but for cutting wood, it is more than adequate
Bound Dagger--As she has learned how to better summon such things, she has figured out how to use a Bound Dagger.
Courage - Do'azda uses magic to inspire in another the will to fight, though currently only to instill confidence in victory, not to cause conflict where none exists.
Summon Familiar - Do'azda reaches into her own soul to bring forth her familiar, the falcon Rajhin. No mere shade, Rajhin remains with her until slain and can do far more than just fight, but cannot be summoned for a day and a night thereafter if killed.
Fear - This spell pulls from the mind a fear that the target has, and creates from this the feeling of fear.
Distraction - Creates sounds and sights on the edge of perception. Sights and sounds determined by the caster.
Healing Wounds - The caster uses their magicka to seal the wounds of the target. All healing occurs in a single burst.
Conjure Flame Atronach - Do'azda can call forth a spirit of Infernace, a being of fire, constrained in a form of iron.
Flames - Do'azda can release a gout of fire from her palm, directly setting alight her foe, though only for so long as she feeds magicka to the fire.
Lesser Ward - Do'azda can use her magic to create a shield of magical energy, blocking low level magical attacks, reducing high level magical attacks and mitigating the damage of physical attacks.

Do'azda can make...

Potion of Minor Healing - Bruises fade, cuts close, aching muscles relax, this potion provides a little relief from injuries. The first potion a young shaman will learn to brew.
Potion of Suppress Disease - A potion which will suppress the symptoms of a disease for several days; oftentimes long enough for the body to get the cold or flu from its system. More serious or outright magical diseases will return with a vengeance once the potion's effects wear out, but it is a useful potion to know how to craft.

FUS - Force
WULD - Whirlwind

FUS DAH--Force Push


Gold Septim (365)
Trail Rations (x4)
Fine Rations
A very nice dress for casual-formal occasions.
A lovely dress in the gothic style, with an enchantment of illusory power woven into it.
Iron Axe--An iron axe of low quality.
Steel Axe - A steel axe of decent quality
Iron Dagger--An iron dagger of mediocre quality.
Mage Robes--Increase magical regeneration, but provides little protection, discouraging getting up close and personal.
Leather Armor--Comfortable, lightweight armor, it counteracts the discouragement from getting up close, though as an extra layer it means it can get extra hot.
Lunar Steel War Axe--An Axe which can, in the light of the moon, drink in the life-force of its victims and use it to restore that of its weilder.
Steel Dagger (x2)--A well-worn but very useful steel dagger.
Alchemical Kit--A very fine kit for the creation of potions. One careful owner.
Stormcloak Token--A token from Ulfric Stormcloak himself...
Underclothes--You know.
One Powerful Enchanted Sword (Rusted)--A sword of unknown value, it has a rather potent and interesting enchantment attached to it.

Spell Tome: Illumination--A spell tome is a sort of book that can fully teach you a new spell, but it is destroyed in the process. For such a minor spell it is probably only a few hours of reading to fully learn. This allows Do'azda to create a light in the darkness... less useful for a Khajiit, but still a spell of value.
Spell Tome: Thieves Vision--A spell tome is a sort of book that can fully teach you a new spell, but it is destroyed in the process. For such a minor spell, it is probably only a few hours of reading to fully learn. This simple spell gives one slightly better night vision… but is also notable for being able to see writing hidden by weak illusions, and thus is commonly used by thieves trying to read the secret messages of other thieves.
Spell Tome: Turn Undead--A spell tome is a sort of book that can fully teach you a new spell, but it is destroyed in the process. A spell of moderate difficulty, it will take several nights of reading to learn it. A spell technically of the "Restoration" school, which puts fear into nearby undead. When cast powerfully, burns them most terribly.
Spell Tome: Sparks--A spell tome is a sort of book that can fully teach you a new spell, but it is destroyed in the process. For such a minor spell, it is probably only a few hours of reading to fully learn. Allows a mage to fire sparks of arcane lightning, sapping the magicka reserves of the target whilst also burning through their flesh.
3 Doses of Frostbite Venom in Magicka bottles--Toxic and acidic to living flesh, it has little effect on the glass bottle.
Healing Potion

Troll Fat, other ingredients
100 Septims
3 gems of good quality.
Troll Hide
Troll Skull
Troll Eyes x3
Troll Claws

A Handy Guide to Lockpicks: A book that should teach Do'azda all she wants to know about Lockpicks, and more. Each read will give +1 to Lockpicking, and it can be read thrice to wring out all possible knowledge from it. (2/3 reads remaining)
Journal of a Potema Loyalist: A journal of some historical merit, belonging to one of Potema's most loyal supporters in her early years.
 
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Shaman
Shaman

"Sha'ki, your dog is wounded?" Do'azda says in Ta'agra. "I will look at the wound before I head to Ka'hasa's to sleep this evening?"

Ka'hasa frowns uncomprehendingly for a moment, and Do'azda curses to herself. The suthay-raht may have understood Sha'ki well enough, but Do'azda speaks Ta'agra with the lilt of Elsweyr itself, and the different accent had thrown her off. Ka'hasa deciphers it well enough after a fashion, however, if Do'azda judges the look of triumph on her face well enough.

Sha'ki nods sharply. "You'll have dinner, whilst you care for my dog?"

"Do'azda would like that, if it is not being too much bother?" Do'azda replies in Tamrielic, so Ka'hasa can understand. Switching from one to the other seemed to be expected here, and so she tries, though she trips over phrases she could ordinarily manage.

"No, no bother at all," Sha'ki says, eagerly. It's obvious it's just as much about a chance to show off, or at least Do'azda's instincts say that that's it. It's a rude way to think about someone, and so she reserves judgement. "Shaman will not be disappointed: Sha'ki is the best cook around."

"If a cat likes something burnt," Ka'hasa says, under her breath. Well, the kind of 'under her breath' where it is meant to be heard.

Sha'ki rears up, tail raising and ears sharp, and Do'azda has to step forward. "I have been walking a long time, and I thank both of you for your hospitality."

This shames them at least enough that Sha'ki turns and says, "Okay, Do'azda should follow Sha'ki."

The inside of the house is clean, if a little bit cluttered. There's not much to it. The privy is outside, and so inside there is just a main room, and a bedroom, and that's it. The floors are wood and all the furniture looks solid and well-maintained. Some of it seems a little dusty, and there are several bouquets of flowers here and there.

"Does Do'azda need to use the bedroom to treat J'arin?"

"No, I can do it… there," she says, pointing over at a large bench padded with what looks like stuffed feathers. The bag looks a little worn, but that should be fine.

Sha'ki takes the dog closer to the bench. She can touch him in a way that Do'azda is going to have to be careful about.

Once he's been set down, he doesn't have the stretch to get back up, and so Do'azda takes a deep breath and considers her next move. She needs to figure out what's wrong, and then figure out how to make a potion that will help.

The good news is that Do'azda knows at least a little bit about how to treat wounds even without potions.

The dog growls, low and menacing as Do'azda approaches, pain filling its eyes. Do'azda swallows a wince at the ruin of its hindleg.

The bad news is that she doesn't know Calm. She's going to have to be quick, and she needs to be very careful or else it's going to end really badly for someone here.

"Does the Shaman need any help?"

Part of being a Shaman is acknowledging one's limits. Do'azda is not stupid, and she doesn't want to start off her time here with having to give herself stitches. "Yes. Could you keep J'arin calm?"

"I can."

Do'azda approaches as Sha'ki makes embarrassingly cutesy sounds while saying nonsense and holding J'arin's head. Up close, it's worse than it looks. It's the kind of thing that'd need a full healing potion or maybe even a major one to just heal right up immediately. But with some stitches and bandages, it should be enough for now, and a few minor healing potions ingested or poured on the wound would speed up the process of healing to just a few days. It could have been worse, but it is bad enough.

The dog whines and moans all through the work, but within a dozen minutes she's done what she can. Do'azda wipes her brow, and considers Sha'ki.

The khajiit is nervous enough from Do'azda's work that once she's no longer in danger of being bitten, she turns to start cooking.

It's going to take a little while, though. "How long do you think it will be? Is it enough time to go to the apothecary first?"

"For a Shaman?" Sha'ki asks, tilting her head. "I would think so. Sha'ki cannot do a subpar meal in such a case. There should be time, then, if you need to go."

"Do'azda thanks you," she said, turning and hurrying out.

It is a nice day, and unlike the previous day it has not ended in nightmares and monsters that Do'azda cannot understand.

Do'azda is not a fast walker, but even if she sprints she cannot outrun gossip, and as she walks through the street whispers are soon following her and trailing along behind her as she goes. The apothecary is not hard to find, and indeed the whole settlement is rather small, all things considered. Even more notable, it is compact. There's a lot very close together, and by the time she makes it to the apothecary, there's also a small crowd following her as if she is a sideshow.

A short, orange-brown Ohmes-raht Khajiit hurries up before she even reaches the apothecary and says. "Excuse me, excuse me." He is dressed in a silver-green cloak, and his ears perk up, his eyes bright green and full of energy. "K'qanar has a request of the Shaman."

"Do'azda," she says. "And yes?"

"K'qanar is the best merchant here, best around. But K'qanar buys from Whiterun merchants. He wants to know if there are any new merchants, that K'qanar can check out the stock of."

Middle-cats like this are common, especially in places where Khajiit are hated. They are at once very important and often sometimes resented since they do sell at a markup. They pay whatever they need to and sell it for whatever they can. It's not the kind of life that Do'azda would ever want to live, even if she wasn't from Elsewyr itself, where there are plenty of Khajiit merchants despite everything.

"What does K'qanar need?"

"He is too busy sometimes, but if the Shaman would just ask around to see if there are any new businesses, then he could set up a meeting," K'qanar says with a nod. "People respect shaman, yes? Shaman knows how to talk to them, doesn't she?"

"I do. I can do that," she says.

Most tasks a Shaman does are like that: representation, talking, a little bit of exploring. Magic is important and so is religion, but they're part of a whole.

Do'azda is not particularly clever tongued by those standards, but even she can see that perhaps K'qanar is doing this on purpose. By asking in public, he makes it more embarrassing to say no. It's the kind of task that some Khajiit think is beneath Shamans, and it's the kind of task some of the more arrogant Shamans would agree is beneath them, for that matter. A Shaman entering a new community would have to be pretty foolish to turn down this kind of request in front of everyone.

But she is going to accept because saying no out of spite is pointless, and she's willing to do the work. "Do'azda may need a little time, she has another task to do. But Do'azda is happy to help."

"Right, right, of course. As long as it's in the next few days, it's fine," K'qanar says with a wave of his hand. Then, tail flicking, he turns. "Thank you, and I will not take up more of your time."

This means that she is free to step into the apothecary.

And what a scene there is before her.

It is a very crowded room, but almost as large as the house she had been in. Do'azda looks around, focusing especially on the huge counter and behind it dozens and dozens of vials of potions. The thick wooden tables set up overflow with cheap potion ingredients around what are an array of colorful potions with large labels beneath each one. Indeed, potion ingredients, or at least the ones that are fit for display, are everywhere, and to the left of the main counter where most of the potions are, there's an elaborate potion station.

It has a cauldron, yes, recessed into the device, but it also has a cutting board with a swivel-knife and little depressions so that you could put pills or anything you want to slice along the level of the board, as well as several beakers, including one beneath a candle, and a half-dozen areas to hold or transfer potion ingredients. The shop is set up so that each direction the eye goes there's another artfully arranged set of potions and ingredients as well as some other things: powders in blue and gold, pouches to ward away bad odors, and more.

It is an astounding array.

It is also very much as she thought: a scene. The potions out front all look to be water and coloring, the ingredients are mostly dried and useless, and there's probably a more practical potion table out back, because a real potion master would find this way too cramped and complicated when a single mistake or bumped ingredient could ruin a masterwork potion. Meanwhile an amateur would be confused and probably not even remember to clean out the thing.

This is a shop where everything is an artifice, but a very clever one.

This extends to dark-furred Khajiit leaning over the counter. She's somewhere approaching middle age, with bright amber eyes and a dress absolutely covered with pockets, and an apron artfully stained as if she's just come from brewing a potion. Her features are sharply handsome, and she has the softness of someone who doesn't collect her own potion ingredients. Her hair is silvery-white and drapes down, and she looks towards Do'azda with an almost predatory air. "Good evening, darling. Atani welcomes the Shaman, Do'azda, to Whiterun."

"It is good to be here," Do'azda says, stepping forward carefully. Even though there's little of value, it'd be a bad way to start their association. "Do'azda would like to purchase one or two minor healing potions, and she wants to know if you need anything else."

"Well, if the Shaman is as good at herblore as Atani would expect… then she could help this poor, tired old woman gather herbs." Despite saying this, she seems entirely healthy, despite the bit of excess weight. "And… there is something else, that if you do, Atani will charge nothing even for a full and regular healing potion."

"Yes?" Do'azda advances.

"There is… something in Whiterun that Atani needs delivered, but people don't trust Khajiit. Not the Khajiit that Atani knows. The world is cruel, so it is, so cruel to Khajiit who simply want to make their way in the world."

Is this…?

"If Do'azda could deliver the package… discreetly."

Do'azda is not at all surprised.

But does she agree?

[] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[] Agree to deliver the package for her. It's a little sketchy, but Do'azda is not the sort of cat entirely unwilling to help out… even if it is a risky early move.
[] Agree to both: this would definitely please Atani, and might help Do'azda on her path. But it does mean extra work.

As for the two minor healing potions…

[] Pay for them now, even though this will seriously strain the budget.
[] Get them on credit, repaying them in coin sometime in the next week or so.
[] Trade a favor for the potions (must agree to at least one of the deals.)
[] Write-in.

******

vM AN: Sorry this took so long! I've had some fairly substantial familial drama, so Laur did pretty much the whole update this time. Will try to be faster next time!

TL AN: Life gets in the way sometimes, and I found it hard to carve out the time to do all the writing… or the writing of some of my other Quests. But it's here and it's done, so yay!
 
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Trade a favor for the potions (must agree to at least one of the deals.)
 
Hmm, why would a rich and prominent apothecary like Atani not be able to just use the middle-cats or at worse the smugglers and black marketeers? The Shaman is supposed to be a mediator for the community and traditional caretaker for the spiritual and physical health of the Khajiit, whatever it is that's so valuable and/or important as to risk the public credence of the Shaman and potentially bring down the wrath of the Jarl's men on her is precisely the level of importance where the full context is needed, I think. We don't want to get in the middle of some trade dispute or the settlement leader's forbidding of Atani's transaction without even knowing that we're getting in the middle of it.
 
Finally! Next update! Thanks for the hard work @The Laurent and @veteranMortal!

[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Get them on credit, repaying them in coin sometime in the next week or so.

I don't wish to immediately use our favor, just to have a few potions for free. I much prefer to pay later and have this favor for later.

And the whole package deal, doesn't smell good to me, and much prefer to just gather ingredient for her.
 
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Trade a favor for the potions (must agree to at least one of the deals.)
 
Those two were so bold, pushing Do to find them business via public badgering and trying to casually convince her to play smuggler. Kinda have to respect their gall...
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Get them on credit, repaying them in coin sometime in the next week or so.
Not enough to actually do the smuggling but enough to think a favour might be good to hold onto. Feel a tad cheeky asking to procure on credit but I'll assume it being an option means it's an acceptable request.
 
Those two were so bold, pushing Do to find them business via public badgering and trying to casually convince her to play smuggler. Kinda have to respect their gall...
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Get them on credit, repaying them in coin sometime in the next week or so.
Not enough to actually do the smuggling but enough to think a favour might be good to hold onto. Feel a tad cheeky asking to procure on credit but I'll assume it being an option means it's an acceptable request.

Khajiit most definitely don't believe in DARE, by and large. :V
 
veteran, I hope the drama works out! Family's tricky, but people need it, in some way, shape or form... Thanks as always to both of you for the update!


the full context is needed
Second.
I much prefer to pay later and have this favor for later.
Second.

I would gladly pay Atani Tuesday for a hamburger today... we should learn a little more about the apothecary's dilemma before getting into the middle of it as Bookwyrm says. Still, Lupercal raises a good point. We must help J'arin and getting the potions is a good way to go about it. I think Grigori's got the right of it, but I wouldn't worry about cheek, considering Do isn't the one straight up asking a person she just met to get involved in something sketchy as all get out. We'll presumably be going into the city of Whiterun a lot in the future, especially if 'Do' is also short for Dovahkiin- so we might as well let our first visit into the city proper be unburdened by carrying around a suspicious package of skooma. We can check out all the merchants for the orange fella, get a better lay of the land, and then be a courier for Atani's wares, y'know, later on.

[X] Grigori
 
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Get them on credit, repaying them in coin sometime in the next week or so.
 
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Get them on credit, repaying them in coin sometime in the next week or so.
 
[X] Agree to both: this would definitely please Atani, and might help Do'azda on her path. But it does mean extra work.

[X] Trade a favor for the potions (must agree to at least one of the deals.)
 
[X] Agree to both: this would definitely please Atani, and might help Do'azda on her path. But it does mean extra work.

[X] Trade a favor for the potions (must agree to at least one of the deals.)

A proper murderhobo never says no to quests. We'll get there yet.
 
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Trade a favor for the potions (must agree to at least one of the deals.)
 
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Get them on credit, repaying them in coin sometime in the next week or so.
 
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Get them on credit, repaying them in coin sometime in the next week or so.
 
[X] Agree to both: this would definitely please Atani, and might help Do'azda on her path. But it does mean extra work.
[X] Trade a favor for the potions (must agree to at least one of the deals.)
 
[X] Agree to the ingredient gathering. It's simple, easy, and very traditional in a lot of ways.
[X] Trade a favor for the potions (must agree to at least one of the deals.)

At some point, we have to draw a line and say 'no further'... Someone else can take care of that package.
 
Adhoc vote count started by The Laurent on Nov 3, 2021 at 4:05 PM, finished with 17 posts and 15 votes.


Vote closed!
 
Falconeer
Falconeer

"Do'azda can fetch herbs for Atani, but… she has not been in Skyrim so long. To carry a parcel into Whiterun…" Do'azda trails off, and the apothecary shrugs, as though to communicate it is no difficulty.

"Ah! Atani understands, of course, of course. Then… perhaps a favour? To have a favour from such a fine Khajiit, a shaman, even! Certainly worth two minor healing potions, I'd say. Wouldn't you agree, darling?"

Do'azda considers this and nods. Coin is likely to be scarcer than the talent it takes to find some basic herbs for a few basic minor healing potions.

"Atani will make the potions whilst you watch? She would like a shaman's eye on her potion making? See if you have any advice for a poor, provincial apothecary?"

As Do'azda suspected, the real potioneering apparatus in the backroom. Beds of herbs run around the room - herbs which would struggle with the cold of a Skyrim winter, but are needed for potioneering all the same - and jars of dried insects, mushrooms...

"Do'azda is impressed. You have a good stock here." Do'azda says, glancing around.

"Atani tries, but she lacks supplies. She has so few mushrooms, only a little of what she needs from animals, no feathers, herbs only from Whiterun. Here is where Do'azda can help, no?" Atani responds over one shoulder. "Could Do'azda pass the honey? Atani will make this potion for Sha'ki's dog. Animals need different potions from people, no?"

"Do'azda would not use honey for a pet. Water allows them to swallow it more easily, yes?" Do'azda replies, though she passes the honey over all the same.

"Of course! But Atani is making a poultice - easier for the Shaman to apply, and then the dog will lick it from the wound all the same,"

"Ah! You're using the honey for consistency, not flavour? Why not egg, then?" Do'azda asks, curious.

"Atani does not keep egg in stock; no one buys potion with egg. She can make potion with perfumes, liquors or honey. Does Do'azda think Sha'ki will mind overmuch about the colouration? Likely not - khajiit expect differently from shaman than apothecaries. Perhaps the aniseed?"

Do'azda frowns. "What would aniseed provide here? Aniseed has some minor uses, to be sure; when combined with certain oils it will decongest a nose, when mixed with ash it aids certain spells… Do'azda thinks certain followers of Mafala use it for their-"

"Aniseed smells medicinal." Atani interrupts her with a rueful laugh. "Best to work with the expectations of the community, no? Besides, it makes no difference to the poultice, so why not?"

Do'azda huffs, but Atani isn't wrong and she hasn't put anything too objectionable in, certainly not anything worth raising a fuss over.

******

J'arin is beginning to get used to her, and applying the poultice is the work of moments. He does, however, snap at her when she wraps the bandage back around the wound.

As she sits down for dinner, Sha'ki regards Do'azda nervously. "How is my J'arin? Must I do something for him? I see he has a bandage? Do I need to change it? Will he be alright?"

"Remove the bandage in the morning, but after that, leave him be. I'll be around some time to check on the wound, but I think it will be alright."

Sha'ki almost collapses in relief at the news. Do'azda has noticed the house is… quiet. Sha'ki lives alone, it seems, but from some of the clothing folded neatly away, plainly too small for the Cathay-raht, has not always. Her dog is, Do'azda thinks, very important to Sha'ki.

The meal is delicious. Do'azda never has any reason to doubt it would be. She eats her fill and then some, and so she's practically waddling as she makes her way over to Ka'hasa's. When she knocks on the door, she's answered by a hurried voice. "Give Ka'hasa a moment!"

When the Suthay-Raht opens the door, she's holding a toddler, fur golden brown just like hers. "Sorry, she was restless. Ka'hasa can take Do'azda to her room."

"Do'azda will need to go outside, there's something she needs to do," Do'azda says, thinking about her falcon. "It's important to catch where the Skeevers are coming from."

"Of course, though… do not talk about such matters in front of Ka'hasa's children."

The toddler blinks sleepily. "What is it? Mommy, what're Skeevers?"

"Not something to talk about, little one," Ka'hasa says, her voice soft and so much gentler than when she'd been talking to her neighbor. There really is bad blood enough to flood both of their houses, then. "Come in, be welcome!"

Do'azda steps in, and looks around. Both houses she's been in might be mirrors of each other in some ways. They're both roughly the same size, but this is a far more packed house. There are furs everywhere, and so much furniture that it must be hard to get around when the whole house is full. It gives it a great deal of warmth, though, which is probably best appreciated in the dead of winter rather than summer: thankfully, it's close enough that it's rather nice.

The whole house smells of woodsmoke, and she looks around and notes that the number of furs is even greater than she thought.

"Ka'hasa's husband is a hunter, a very fine hunter. He is away now, but he always brings back love, affection… and pelts. A lot of pelts." She looks around for a moment and says, "A hopeless number of them."

Ka'hasa's voice is fond, and Do'azda hopes it is a good marriage. She has little other to say than, "Ah," in a soft voice as she keeps following.

"One second, let me put her down in her play area. This way…" she says, gesturing towards the back, where there's a few wooden blocks and some stuffed rabbits… as in, caught rabbits then stuffed and used as toys, among other things.

The toddler sleepily allows herself to be deposited on the ground, and then Ka'hasa returns. "There is a room for guests. It is small, but she hopes Do'azda will find it enough. Her neighbor may sniff, but Sha'ki's hospitality is nothing like Ka'hasa's." Ears flick. "Ka'hasa knows how to make cats feel welcome. Ka'hasa's wife never would have run off." A pause. "If Ka'hasa had a wife, as Sha'ki had."

Do'azda realizes that she should have said this earlier. It is usually better not to take a side through the simple expedient of providing an ear to both sides, but it seems clear to her that Ka'hasa's tongue was sharp and it was going to continue to pour out what is quite probably private heartbreak as public gossip. "Do'azda is a Shaman, and she needs to protect all this town. When Sha'ki blames Ka'hasa for her dog, Do'azda has to stop this. The reverse is true as well." She looks at the other woman firmly, and to her credit she seems embarrassed.

"...Ka'hasa is sorry," the woman says. "It has been a hard week."

"Do'azda understands," she says. "She needs to step out, and then she can go to bed."

"Okay… tell us if you need anything." She meant her, and the children if they needed to help too, somehow. Her ears are cocked, her tail dragging towards the floor, and Do'azda turns and steps outside into the brisk air of evening. There is a bit of sun in the distance, a sliver that doesn't really touch.

The people up on the hill are the ones getting the sunlight firsthand: the Khajit take what they get and they sew patches with the light and breathe deeply secondhand air, and do what they can. The Gods, though, know what they're doing sometimes. It's a fine evening, colder than she's used to but oddly bracing. She concentrates and summons Rajhin. He flaps around, and she feels the bond between them.

He doesn't think in complete sentences, but she has a bond, just a little bit. He lands on her arm and turns, looks at her.

She can imagine someone saying:What?

"Do'azda needs you to watch the house tonight. Look at the traps and see if there are Skeevers about. Can Rajhin do that?"

He screeches, obviously annoyed to think about staying up all night.

"Rajhin is a strong bird, he can do it," Do'azda declares. "Do'azda will reward him tomorrow."

He almost claws at her arms, as if wanting to seize a sacrifice of blood right this moment. But he looks at Do'azda, and she can tell he's thinking. Could she command? Of course. But even birds of spirit like rabbits and mice, and a Cat is not to be like the Aldmeri Union, and take and take while giving back nothing more than demands.

A noise of annoyance, and then he launches into the air, flapping towards the top of the house. She'll just have to trust he pays attention. He's more reliable than her own thoughts sometimes give him credit for, if less so than some think.

After all, the average person assumes he's just a mindless spirit of an animal driven into battle.

******

Do'azda has slept in worse and better beds. It is a little bit lumpy, and the room itself, being on the outer edge of the house, is chilling enough that she wishes for longer fur or more blankets. It is simply a room where one sleeps. There's nothing to explore about it, and when she wakes up she feels no disorientation at all.

There aren't even any of those furs and pelts and even skulls that make the rest of the house a little different. So she rolls out of bed.

(That night, as always, she wakes up in the middle of the night. This time she decides to just lay in bed and think about the Gods. She considers going out to check on Rajhin, but she decides against it.)

She gets up and slips on the clothes she has carefully set aside, and then pads out towards the front porch. The sun is not yet fully in the sky, but the household is awake. Indeed, the Shaman is the last to get up, though probably not by long. "What does Do'azda want for breakfast? Ka'hasa insists on making it."

"Porridge is fine. Do'azda will be right back," she says absently. Porridge is definitely fine, especially if there's a little bit of sweetness to it, or perhaps a little fruit. But she eats whatever she's given, and there are other concerns right now. Rajhin is quick to alight on her arm as soon as she steps out.

He is majestic, in his way. He is a desert falcon, not made for these environments, but his sandy coloration is brighter and crisper than any ordinary falcon, and he seems cleaner and better cared for than even the most pampered pet could ever be. Well, generally so. Now his feathers are a little rumpled, and he shivers just a bit.

She feels his disapproval and exhaustion. He tilts his head, as if to ask: does Do'azda even love Rajhin anymore? Do'azda has exposed Rajhin to the cold, cruel world without a care. Rajhin is outraged, oh yes, and his summoner is a cruel fiend, and--

Well, it is more a series of feelings, but it is quite pointed.

"Did you see anything? If you want, we could go inside. It's warmer there."

He makes a pleased sound and begins preening, and she catches the swirl of emotions and vague impressions: Skeevers were out and about, dark shapes and figures seeming to come from up north, from the hill. But they kept away, and when he screeched in the night they backed off and ran.

Of course, she knows they'll be back. Still, that's something. Why are they coming from Whiterun?

It's another bit of patchwork from which to put together a solution.

Planning!

Normally, you will be playing this game mostly as the Skyrim it definitely is. But for the moment Do'azda is stuck in a routine, in that she has a job and… the basic stability that she hasn't the past few days. This will definitely last forever, and will definitely not end before that long. So anyways… choose what to do.

Label one [Early Morning] as in [] [Early Morning] Go Back to Bed, and another as [Late Morning]

[] There's no time like the present when it comes to gathering ingredients, and it will help pay off the debt to the alchemist.
[] Healing has already begun, but spending some time tending to the needs of the injured canine will both look kindly and perhaps help speed the recover.
[] Begin looking for people to gather together to try to deal with the Skeever problem.
[] Go up towards the walls and look around, see if you can find anything during the daytime that might indicate where they are coming from.
[] The merchant wants Do'azda to go check things out, Do'azda can do that…
-[] And also spend some time wandering Whiterun and figuring out more about it. (Takes another slot to select.)
[] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check out… (Choose 1 per time slot.)
-[] The hunters, trappers, and so on.
-[] The cats of the night and the addicts.
-[] Those without a visible source of income.
-[] Merchants and traders.
-[] Guards and mercenaries…
[] Pamper Rajhin to help improve his mood and continue to stay in his good graces.

TL: Do'azda is a Neerd, a neeerd!

VM: oh! oh! jail for do'azda! jail for do'azda for One Thousand Years!!!!
 
Early morning
[x] Healing has already begun, but spending some time tending to the needs of the injured canine will both look kindly and perhaps help speed the recover.

[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check out… (Choose 1 per time slot.)
Late Morning
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
might as well help out, see if there is any gossip, and see if they would like some income in exchange for helping?

Even if they aren't able to help with Skeevers, they might still be able to keep an eye out for things, and help around camp.
 
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[x] [Early Morning] Pamper Rajhin to help improve his mood and continue to stay in his good graces.
[x] [Late Morning] Healing has already begun, but spending some time tending to the needs of the injured canine will both look kindly and perhaps help speed the recover.
One thing at a time. Figure getting these out of the way before addressing other issues or finding more
 
[x] [Early Morning] Pamper Rajhin to help improve his mood and continue to stay in his good graces
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check out… (Choose 1 per time slot.)
Late Morning
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
might as well help out, see if there is any gossip, and see if they would like some income in exchange for helping?
 
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