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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[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)

Pretty interested in this.
 
[x] The hunters have helped her quite a lot, so perhaps she should think about a way to deal with the Thanes that have been disturbing their hunting. Thinking of this is… unnerving now, but the necessity also seems more obvious. Talk to them to see what can be done.
[x] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
[x] The hunters have helped her quite a lot, so perhaps she should think about a way to deal with the Thanes that have been disturbing their hunting. Thinking of this is… unnerving now, but the necessity also seems more obvious. Talk to them to see what can be done.
[x] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
[X] It may be in Do'azda's interests to talk to the local healers to see what if anything she can help with there, though there is no expectation that she'll get put into rotation until she's at least a little bit more settled, perhaps in a few weeks… but doing it now might help her prove herself.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
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[X] It may be in Do'azda's interests to talk to the local healers to see what if anything she can help with there, though there is no expectation that she'll get put into rotation until she's at least a little bit more settled, perhaps in a few weeks… but doing it now might help her prove herself.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
[X] The hunters have helped her quite a lot, so perhaps she should think about a way to deal with the Thanes that have been disturbing their hunting. Thinking of this is… unnerving now, but the necessity also seems more obvious. Talk to them to see what can be done.
 
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
 
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
[X] It may be in Do'azda's interests to talk to the local healers to see what if anything she can help with there, though there is no expectation that she'll get put into rotation until she's at least a little bit more settled, perhaps in a few weeks… but doing it now might help her prove herself.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
[X] It may be in Do'azda's interests to talk to the local healers to see what if anything she can help with there, though there is no expectation that she'll get put into rotation until she's at least a little bit more settled, perhaps in a few weeks… but doing it now might help her prove herself.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
Talking to the cats without a a visible income seems like a bad idea to me. we're just getting established on a social level and have almost no combat skills to speak of. We don't want to attracting the attention of the kind of people who would be looking into our predecessors murder.
 
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)

- unlocking all the side-quests
 
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)

The first to reach her is a broad-shouldered cathay woman, her hair tied into a loose braid with silver bells woven in, with pale scars etching ridges across her biceps and chest.

"The shaman visits? Does she have a job for us? So many have so much work for khajiit, but this one may be able to make time, if it is something important to such a sweet girl?" She says, her voice low and rough, her mouth curling in a confident smile. More muscular than any Do'azda has seen in Little Elsweyr, Do'azda swallows as she scans the other cat, noting the sword on her hip and the mail shirt, battered but clearly well-cared for.

"Dahlima expected the shaman," Another cathay interrupts smoothly, slighter than Razirr, with one of his ears torn off halfway up, a dapple of grey on his muzzle. "She makes her way from cat to cat, solving problems in our most dismal little slum. Dahlima must disappoint, however - for all their sins, none can ever claim nords do not know the worth of khajiiti blades. Mercenaries prosper when others struggle, is this not the way of things? Does it not make the shaman want to just cry?"

I get that Razirr is that first Khajit, but I'm not certain we'd gotten her name before the red for emphasis part in the third paragraph quoted here, so it threw me a little bit. Apologies if she was introduced earlier in the story, one of the drawbacks of reading piecemeal is that my recall of things can slip through the cracks. Maybe include her name as she's speaking for the first time, or have Dahlima drop her name when he speaks?

Hizala bares his teeth in what could charitably be called a smile, and Razirr barks a laugh. "Razirr will spar with the shaman first. She will go easy at first… but not too easy."
*****

You might want a to hit 'enter' after that last bit so your line break is separated as the others are.

"Say "Yes, Shaman", take her to Marash'ji's lodgings and be done."

I might just be picky, but the comma after shaman should be on the inside of the quotation mark, right?

One of the women is short and slightly plump, her curves stuffed into a dress that is both too short, too tight, and too thin to possibly be anything other than the garb of a prostitute.

I don't know if 'both' is the best fit with three things being described here... maybe try 'a dress that is at once too short, too...'

The great houses of morrowind know not to cross the Morag Tong, we could achieve the same!"

Should Morrowind be capitalized?

Perhaps… K'dasi provides Sleeping-Tree Sap to a redguard once of Sinmir's company - the man lost an arm to a bear, terrible business, he can hardly sleep for the ache without medicinal assistance - and he could be persuades, K'dasi believes, to tell of Sinmir's incompetence…"

I'm unsure if K'dasi is affecting their speech, or this is an accent, but maybe 'he could be persuaded' would be a better fit? Also, I'm uncertain if 'redguard' should be capitalized or not. Some of the people's names are uppercase in the update and some aren't.

The dunmer leave first - Evola walks out stiffly, embarrassed frustration radiating off him, whilst Adosi smiles at Tsani as she leaves. Tsani trips over her own feet.

The argonians linger a little longer, and Bathes-in-Steel approaches Do'azda as she prepares to leave.

Same question about the capitalization of the races of mer and men.

"Let that be an end to my involvement in such things"

I think you're missing a bit of punctuation at the end of Do'azda's remark here, where it transitions from speech.

mynameisyouQQQ raises an interesting thought, but at the same time we're their shaman too, and we can't go shirking our duty... plus, I don't think VM and TL would chuck us into a no-win situation this early in the game. Also... butchock has a point. We've already visited every other feline faction at this point, might as well go for the completionist achievement. Especially if their tasks synergize with the other groups. Less backtracking that way. Though I suppose we'll need to meet the 'mayor' after this.

I really enjoyed this update, seeing the seedy underbelly of Whiterun's disenfranchised come together was great as well as the flirting sparring with Razirr. Getting swept up into the urgent sidequest with the Lunar Forge is also great, because this will be our first time 'in the wilderness' after making it to Whiterun, so who knows what we'll see out there?

The warehouse is in a state of being mostly unloaded, with a few crates still full of their cargo of iron ore, a state of affairs which has been unchanged for approximately a decade.

Clearly Do'azda needs to sneak all this ore into her pockets, transmute it to gold, and sell it for a profit, right? Right? You can't be a klepto Skyrim player without upselling pilfered goods to unsuspecting merchants... and she really, really needs some septims. :ninja:

"We kill the Guard Captain and dump his body on the steps of Dragonsreach to tell him exactly what we think of his Nordic Laws and the inferior, thickheaded race of brutes and barbarians that call themselves thinking beings."

...because there's no way that can go wrong. I am so happy he gets his arrogant comeuppance immediately. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but this Evola fella seems... I don't know, kinda Evil-a.

The Lusty Argonian maid wilts, closing her mouth even as she has more to say.

You're missing a key opportunity by having her not partake in the snooty elf's offer here. Just saying. :whistle:
 
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
[X] The hunters have helped her quite a lot, so perhaps she should think about a way to deal with the Thanes that have been disturbing their hunting. Thinking of this is… unnerving now, but the necessity also seems more obvious. Talk to them to see what can be done.
[X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
 
[X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
-[X] Those without a visible source of income.
 
Vote closed
Scheduled vote count started by veteranMortal on Jan 26, 2022 at 11:52 AM, finished with 20 posts and 18 votes.

  • [X] It may be in Do'azda's interests to talk to the local healers to see what if anything she can help with there, though there is no expectation that she'll get put into rotation until she's at least a little bit more settled, perhaps in a few weeks… but doing it now might help her prove herself.
    [X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
    [X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
    -[X] Those without a visible source of income.
    [X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
    [x] The hunters have helped her quite a lot, so perhaps she should think about a way to deal with the Thanes that have been disturbing their hunting. Thinking of this is… unnerving now, but the necessity also seems more obvious. Talk to them to see what can be done.
    [X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
    [X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
    -[X] Those without a visible source of income.
    [X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
    [X] Do'azda has found her feet. Perhaps it is time to look for somewhere she could purchase magical tomes within Whiterun, and other such tools to expand her options.
    [X] Soahin would like Do'azda to accompany her to Silent Moon Camp, to see what has befallen Marash'ji, and to investigate this "Lunar Forge" (Can only be taken Late Afternoon today, 21st of Last Seed)
    [X] The community is bigger than the cats she's just met so far, perhaps she could check some of them out and find a few more problems for her to solve.
    -[X] Those without a visible source of income.
    [x] The hunters have helped her quite a lot, so perhaps she should think about a way to deal with the Thanes that have been disturbing their hunting. Thinking of this is… unnerving now, but the necessity also seems more obvious. Talk to them to see what can be done.
 
The Huddled Masses
The Huddled Masses

There is no one place in which the wretchedly poor reside in Little Elsweyr.

Do'azda finds a number are begging in the marketplace - without much hope, as few have enough septims to spare, but the market is shielded from the wind by the city wall, and bathed in sunlight for much of the day - it must be a nicer place to beg than most in Little Elsweyr.

A few of them shrink away as she approaches, but not all.

"This one starves, please, kind shaman, spare a septim?"

"Daro'kir is sick, madam, she needs gold for the apothecary!"

"His throat burns, shaman, please, he must buy something to drink, his throat..!"

Do'azda closes her eyes for a moment. The lot of beggars is no better in Elsweyr than in Skyrim.

"This one would like to know if there is anything she can do to help?" She asks. "More so than giving you septims, anything to make your lives easier?"

She is willing to give, of course, but Do'azda would be a poor shaman - in more ways that one - if she used only money to improve people's lot in life.

A thin, dirty cathay in rags steps forwards as though to speak, but her body wracks with coughs, long and drawn, ending in a piteous, phlegmatic wheeze before she can "Daro'kir supposed you may say that. She listens when cats speak in the market. The shaman wants to fix everything, it is said. This one has troubles enough for her, but alas, the shaman cannot bring work, nor homes. She can perhaps manage medicine? Rattles-" She breaks off, coughing again. "Rattles takes this one's lungs, and not hers alone. Unfortunate vagrants sleep together for warmth, and the disease takes them, the weakest first. Saps the strength."

"Do'azda knows the apothecary, she could perhaps-" Do'azda begins.

"Atani has not enough to cure all, and the sickness will only return. If the shaman could speak with the traders here… disease in the town is bad for their business, no?" She coughs again. "It is only a thought. Perhaps if Atani could train someone, we might have more potions?"

Do'azda nods, considering. "This one will see what she can do?"

"If the shaman is helping…" Another of the beggars speaks up, "Can she help with the Nords? This one would beg in the town, but they chase him out, say it is their place to beg… And the guards beat him if he complains,"

Do'azda frowns. "The guards should ease off a little soon, but… This one does not know how to deal with the nord beggars. She will not harm them - Do'azda did not become shaman to do such things."

"As the shaman says." The beggar sighs, defeated. "It spoke ill of me that I asked."

Despite her earlier thoughts, she hands them each a couple of septims before she takes her leave - that it is not enough to solve their problems does not mean she should not do it.

[-6 septims]

******

As she leaves the market, Do'azda can hear the sound of raised voices, and the shattering of ceramic.

Four khajiit - youthful, in the late teens, the early twenties - are sitting on a garden wall, their clothes new but distinctly shabby. A crate stamped with a beehive lies discarded on the ground beneath them, and they're cackling raucously as they throw empty bottles down onto the street below. Shards of ceramic litter the back alley where they're sat.

"Jotiska has so little control! And he wishes to be a mercenary? Foolish cat! Watch! Anusi will manage it, then perhaps Jotiska can copy her!" One of the Khajiit says grandly - a slender suthay, with tired eyes. She leaps to her feet, balancing atop the wall, raising another of the earthenware mead bottles up.

"Wait!" Do'azda calls out, arm outstretched. "What are you doing?"

Anusi stops, looking at Do'azda as though she's stupid. "Throwing empty mead bottles?"

Do'azda takes a significant glance at the debris. "This one can see that. She does not see why, however?"

"What else would she have Anusi do, hm? Anusi's sister fills their rooms with sheets, dripping on the floor, she tells Anusi to get out, and so Anusi finds her friends, and Jotiska has a crate of mead…" She trails off, and then throws the bottle, flicking it up in the air. It spins as it falls, once, then twice, before landing in the mud, standing upright. "Aha! She said! Anusi said she would do it!"

"Is there nothing else you could do? You are disturbing things, and making a terrible mess." Do'azda tries again.

"Is she the shaman?" Another of the Khajiit - Jotiska, Do'azda assumes - says suddenly. "This one saw her speaking with Tsani and K'dasi. Will Tsani be running the gates again, does the shaman know? She was good for a dozen septims every few days that way."

Do'azda knows people of this sort. Children grown without hope in homes declining inexorably to poverty, coming of age without a future. There are so many limits to what she can do, and yet she must try.

"Do'azda thinks the gate may be active again soon, yes. Speak with Tsani, this one is not a messenger for the gangs." Do'azda says waspishly.

"What difference does it make?" Another of them replies. "So this one does a few more jobs for Tsani, he gets hired on by a caravan for extra security, he runs some asinine message for some asinine nord. He gets a handful of septims, which Hustasarr knows he will spend on mead, and at the end of the year, Hustasarr is still here and still poor. This one would like the shaman to find him stable work, but she cannot do that, can she? If she is so fine, so able to solve problems, she ought at least to find Hustasarr something he can do with his days. Something more than this. Hustasarr is not some haggard duty-cat to go running from place to place, but to sit on walls and break things…"

He gestures vaguely at the mess before them, shrugging.

Anusi spits on the floor, nearer to Do'azda than she likes. "She cannot. Surely Hustasarr knows this? The shaman is only one cat, she cannot create work for a cat from nothing. This is all there is for us, so might he not at least try to have fun?"

Do'azda has no easy answers, frowning and considering what she can do. "If Do'azda finds something for you to do, what would you say?"

"Depends on what it is," Jotiska says, at least looking thoughtful.

"Hustasarr would be willing to try, but he is not like those cats who try to stitch from scraps a life. It only leads to a fool in motley prancing about." He gestures over towards a group of cats who have gathered, dressed in dirty smocks that look as if they've seen better days. "Those ones, they work a dozen little jobs and think it is enough to be one big job. They're the ones willing to run themselves into the dust, until their tail drags against the ground, for nothing more than promises."

Do'azda frowns, considering this for a long moment. "Still, Do'azda will keep you in mind and do what she can."

"Great. Thanks," Anusi says with a roll of her eyes. Though she has been less hostile than some of the others… but more from a place of apathy, for now she's staring off at the sky as if the conversation is done.

Do'azda's mouth opens and closes as she considers something to say or something to promise, but she cannot promise anything now other than perhaps the smuggling being restored and the guards softened. This would help, but what would it truly solve?

Still, it is a Shaman's job to do as much as she can.

******

As fruitless as this has been, it has drawn Do'azda's eyes to another group of people she needs to talk to, and she approaches the smock-wearing khajiit, who have been watching her cautiously since Hustasarr started talking about them.

"What did the shaman want with the idle cats? Did she tell them to buck up their ideas? That they ought to work, like this one?" One of them asked, his eyes tired but fever-bright, his fur beginning to thin in clumps. "Ketesh would usually applaud her, but he would rather they not compete for the work available."

"Do'azda wanted only to understand what they were doing, and how she could help. She came to ask the same of these cats. The shaman serves all khajiit, without prejudice or disdain." She replies. She has no interest in their rivalry, fascinating though it must be to them.

All five of the Khajiit turn, seeming to consider her, before a large cat with clumsy hands steps forwards, pushing Ketesh gently out of his way.

"What Bhisbarri would like most is a lot to ask, Bhisbarri knows, for it is something without an end, a task as fruitless as draining the sea with one's tongue," he says, his whiskers twitching and his ears stiff with the weight of whatever he is going to ask. "Keep out an ear and an eye for opportunities: talk to shopkeeps and others you meet in Whiterun and see if anyone could use a few hard-working Khajiit willing to work for what pay there is. We will do any odd job, but there's not so much available now…"

A short suthay with angry orange eyes in rich dark brown fur shoves past him, her teeth flashing briefly.

"Talhiah would never take such charity as to force a respected Shaman to act as a job procuress. She would rather starve," Talhiah says, her dark tail flicking angrily. "She has her pride, she is no cause for charity. If the Shaman has something she needs Talhiah's services for, she would be happy to do that work."

"If Talhiah doesn't want the help, Ketesh will be happy to take up your share. But our greatest trouble is that the work is posted in the city, and so by the time we get there, khajiit are the last to the message boards, and only the very worst is left for us. Ketesh will do it, of course, and he is a good worker! Not one to complain, but he is paid so little for it, he would prefer other work, if he could get it,"

"What takes so long? The gate?" Do'azda asks.

"Yes and no," Ketesh replies. "This one is held at the gate sometimes, but even without that, it takes such a time to climb through the city to reach the message boards. It used to be that people would seek khajiit out, but they are less willing to go beyond the walls now. If we could have perhaps someone in the city to inform us? But the shaman cannot, she does not have the time, he knows this."

"Perhaps this one could organise someone to do just that? To take the finest jobs as they appear, and bring them to you, for a cut of the pay? Do'azda muses. "But she does not know anyone in the city who could do that for you, not yet,"

"The shaman should not trouble herself on Talhiah's account, nor for Ketesh or Bhisbarri! They manage well enough. These khajiit must just work harder, no?"

The others nod, slightly shame-faced, and their two quiet friends resume a quiet conversation about their latest job - a farmer wishes for a new fence around his crops, apparently. Do'azda wants to scream, to shake them - they are not so undeserving of her help as they believe, and their life is clearly killing them.

******

There is another group that Do'azda knows to look for, and that is one she has not found in all the places she's been: there are always old cats who might once have worked but no longer have the strength to anymore. They moulder in houses they could no longer afford if they had not already paid them off, and congregate sometimes together for company. It is the kind of cat that is found on winter mornings to have gone in the night - sometimes to have gone several nights ago - and no one quite remembers them well enough to grieve.

The difficulty is in finding them - those who remain in their homes are not easy for a shaman to find, and Do'azda almost despairs of it, before she hits upon a small park; a patch of scrubland, with a few rough-hewn benches and one twisted, half-dead tree.

At its base sit a dozen elderly khajiit, shrivelled with age, their muzzles flecked with white, hands gnarled with arthritis as they clutch at battered cards with faded pawprints on the back.

They're playing Scratch, Do'azda realises as she approaches. She hasn't met anyone with the time to play Scratch since the caravan - she's a rather poor player, herself.

"This one begs your pardon-" Do'azda begins, but a wizened old tojay interrupts, her voice shrill and triumphant.

"Five Claw Flush! Shav'si One-eye has a Five Claw Flush! Read them and weep!"

A chorus of groans spreads across the table, and Shav'si cackles toothlessly.

"Yes, young one? Why does she disturb this cat's game? He was busy losing his septims to Shav'si," An elderly cathay says, his voice croaky.

"Ah, Do'azda apologises, but she's the new shaman, and she was wondering if there were anything you needed?" She unconsciously raises her voice a little, in case he is deaf.

"Dro'hani does not think so. The shaman is Jo'zhid, and he was only sent recently. He is sure he can help this one find the shaman if she requires?" He replies, his face morphing into a gentle confusion.

"The shaman shouldn't bother. Dro'hani is… playing Scratch is useful to keep him as sharp as he is, but already he is not so good. Can this one help her? Her name is Adhassa." Adhassa seems younger than the others - though still elderly - a tabby cathay-raht with dark eyes. "She watches her friends, keeps them safe."

Do'azda smiles. Nothing is better for a shaman than to not be needed, she was taught this as an apprentice, but it did not truly click. "Ah! Should this one get out of your hair, then?"

Adhassa shrugs. "She is welcome to stay, though Adhassa would ask a favour, if the shaman has the time to grant it?"

Do'azda nods. "The shaman has some time before her next responsibility, yes. What does Adhassa require?"

"There are some others, more infirm, that Adhassa cannot watch over. They live in a cluster, perhaps a dozen in one building, and she would appreciate it if the shaman could visit them? They grow so terribly lonely, she worries it makes it harder for them to hold onto life."

"Where is this building?" Do'azda asks, and is unsurprised to hear it is in the middle of the shantytown where Marash'ji lives.

*****

The building is if anything, more ramshackle even than Marash'ji's - the front door sits only loosely in its frame, there are gaps in the walls through which the wind whistles, and the ceiling joists have been eaten at by woodworm - they bow alarmingly, presumably as a cat on the floor above walks across them. Do'azda murmurs a prayer to Azurah that the building not come down, and begins to crest the stairs.

There are not quarters, not rooms, not in the traditional sense. The elderly in this building, it appears, live and sleep as a community. The beds are all gathered together, aged fur on splintering frames, with the worn faces of elderly khajiit scarcely visible in each bed.

An old cathay woman in a thick woollen housecoat stands by a small fire-pit in one corner, a kettle of water balanced over it. When she sees Do'azda, the woman's whole face lights up.

"Oh! Oh isn't it lovely to have a visitor!" She says in Ta'agra, leaving the kettle where it is to totter over to Do'azda. "The others are all asleep, so I was just working on making some soup and tea for when they wake, but if someone has come to see us, perhaps I will get the good plates out, and we can all have some of the lovely honeycakes that Tsrira baked last week? Come, come, sit down. Who are you? If you're a thief, I'm afraid we're a rather poor option, but we've got a few septims, if you'll stay a while…"

Do'azda's heart breaks, just a little, to think of these cats, so cooped up they seem even to welcome a thief.

"I am no thief. I am Do'azda, the new shaman, sent from Elsweyr. Who are you?"

"Zabhrri. I'm glad to hear you are not a thief, young one. We receive few enough visitors. Young Adhassa comes every week or so, she brings food for us, but no others, and we cannot manage the weather outside, the wind cuts my very bones. But we've got each other, so we can hardly complain."

"There are always things to improve, I've found," the Shaman said very carefully. She does not want to pop any feeling of contentment, considering what the situation is. But surely she can do at least a little bit of something."

"Well, I wouldn't like to be a bother, but if you might be convinced to visit, even only once a week? Or perhaps someone else, I know the shaman is busy! We could have tea, some cake, talk about what's happening in the world…"

Do'azda sits down, picking up the cup of tea Zabhrri sets in front of her, and takes a sip. It's sweet and rich, warming to her core. The cake is dry and a little stale, but its deeply impregnated with honey, and delightfully sweet.

Do'azda stays for possibly too long, speaking to Zabhrri at first, and then Tsrira when she wakes, and then just as Do'azda is preparing to leave, another of the old cats wakes from their nap, and she is compelled to stay a while longer, such that it is time to meet Soahin before she knows it.

******

Do'azda is almost late to the training grounds, where she's supposed to meet up with Soahin. Sohain is pacing, her tail flicking rather anxiously. When she hears Do'azda, her ears perk up and she hurries over. "Good, Sohain was nervous to go alone. She trusts the Shaman is ready?"

Do'azda has made sure to bring everything, including her trail rations, though if this really is the kind of trip where she'd miss five meals then the map must truly be incredibly wrong. But this could take a while.

"Do'azda is," she said, nodding and firing off a quick prayer.

Righteous S'rendarr, who knows when cats have played too long and turned mischief into rotten will, protect and guard me, and guide my will. Azurah who can know the dawn and dusk and the skies itself, guide me under the sun and stars. Baan Dar, Pariah of a Thousand Faces, cover the eyes of my foe, that dart and blade miss my skin.

Then she is ready. It's time for adventure… and hopefully the recovery of Sohain's friend safe and intact.


Planning Vote!

So, except during boss fights we're not going to be having you vote for specific tactics. As in, you won't be voting whether to charge a particular enemy or keep back. Instead, we're going to be setting tactics. This is something you'll generally do before most dungeon dives. Embershard Mine might've been your introduction to this but we ended up showing diplomacy instead, and now here you are!

What is Rahjin doing? (Choose 1)

[] He can scout ahead, and hopefully they won't notice him flying overhead, or at least think nothing of it.
[] He should stay with her: he is no warrior, but he has the skill to poke out eyes and harass enemies.

Magic? (Can Choose more than one, but the more you choose the more stretched thin it is)

[] Cast courage before each major engagement with the enemies.
[] Use Blur to try to get closer to the enemies.
[] Use Conjure Animal in most fights to try to even up any odds.

Physical combat? (Choose 1)

[] Rely on the dagger. Even if Do'azda is not skilled by mercenary standards she can fight.
[] Keep a distance and avoid direct combat in all circumstances.
[] Rely on her claws to tear at the enemy in a way they can't deal with as easily.
[] Use the iron axe. It's not as good as the steel dagger in some ways, but it has range and power.
[] Write-in.

Overall Tactics (Choose 1)

[] Avoid combat or try for ambushes where possible by trying to sneak up on enemies.
[] Move fast to confront enemies in small groups before they can get an alert and bunch up.
[] Allow Soahlin to set the tactics.

Vote by plan!

*****

VM AN: This was hard, honestly. Most of the problems we've written so far have been things Do'azda can solve, but she's not a god, she cannot solve poverty.

TL AN: This was mostly veteranMortal. I contributed a little bit here and there, but primarily this was her. Also rather heartbreaking. There's a lot to do, and plenty of things that Do'azda just can't really fix so much as bandage.
 
[X] Plan: Path of Least Resistance
-[X] He can scout ahead, and hopefully they won't notice him flying overhead, or at least think nothing of it.
-[X] Use Conjure Animal in most fights to try to even up any odds.
-[X] Rely on the dagger. Even if Do'azda is not skilled by mercenary standards she can fight.
-[X] Avoid combat or try for ambushes where possible by trying to sneak up on enemies.

Let's save our strength and health for the fights we can't avoid.
 
Well, people looking for work in this world could propably try to go out and loot, the money is literally just lying around outside the cities.
I guess most would die trying, but the rest would in time become respectable adventurers.

Nah, no kidding, it sucks to be in Skyrim and not be the Dragonborn.
 
I imagine that all the surrounding lands A. already have a bunch of Nord homesteads and villages on them and B. are full of a complex maze of centuries of real estate deals and inheritances among the Thanes' fiefdoms and great noble Clans? There's no chance of trying to petition the Jarl and gather the funds and try for a like Khajiit farming colony/shtetl that employs the poor and keeps abject starvation at bay?
 
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