Fire On The Mountain (A Skyrim Quest)

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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] Go visit the witch. She has alchemical experience, albeit dark experience. Perhaps she could help Do'azda with the alchemical training she'll need to provide for whoever she chooses. Yes, the witch has something of a black reputation but that is also a sign of skill, in another sense.
 
[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.

let us dance with the maiden fair. And TBH I think Do'azda could use a bit of a break.
 
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[X] Go visit the witch. She has alchemical experience, albeit dark experience. Perhaps she could help Do'azda with the alchemical training she'll need to provide for whoever she chooses. Yes, the witch has something of a black reputation but that is also a sign of skill, in another sense.

Using some OOC knowledge here, but did we grab the dragonstone? It should be in one of those two chests?
 
[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.
 
[X] The shopping list
-[X] 34 Septims (1 point each)
-[X] One powerful enchanted sword (rusted) (Value: ???)
-[X] 1x Sapphire (8 points each)
-[X] Fur Armor (x1) (3 points each)
-[X] Hunting bow (3 points) (Good quality)
-[X] 1x Spell Tome: Flames (8 points)
-[X] 1x Spell Tome: Illumination (Light) (8 points)
-[X] 1x 'A Handy Guide to Lockpicks' (3 points)
-[X] 1x 'The Queen's Lover' (3 points)
-[X] 1x 'Assorted books which have rather "controversial" or "explicit" woodcuts.' (3 points)
[X] Go visit the witch. She has alchemical experience, albeit dark experience. Perhaps she could help Do'azda with the alchemical training she'll need to provide for whoever she chooses. Yes, the witch has something of a black reputation but that is also a sign of skill, in another sense.
 
[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.

[X] The shopping list


You need a break and some cash, Doaz'da
 
[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.

[X] The shopping list


Agreed on the relaxation!
 
[X] The shopping list

[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.

Do'azda could definitely use a breather.
 
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[X] Bits, bobs, books, and bows
-[X] 22 Septims (1 point each)
-[X] 30 Gold Coins (worth, probably, ½ point each)
-[X] One gold, silver, and gemstone necklace (Value: ???)
-[X] 1x Sapphire (8 points each)
-[X] Hunting bow (3 points) (Good quality)
-[X] 1x Spell Tome: Flames (8 points)
-[X] 1x Spell Tome: Illumination (Light) (8 points)
-[X] 1x 'A Handy Guide to Lockpicks' (3 points)
-[X] 1x 'The Queen's Lover' (3 points)
-[X] 1x 'Assorted books which have rather "controversial" or "explicit" woodcuts.' (3 points)

[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.

Let me axe you a question, why are we getting the sword when we already have our wonderful axe of hacking and slashing? I suppose giving Soahin the easier to hock necklace could be seen as doing her a favor, but I'm worried we'll be missing out on something nifty with the necklace. I want to work with the witch, but I'm worried about sending someone else to her for tutelage, because I'm worried they'd wander into her basement and get got. Better to just breathe and combat the stress Do'azda's built up. Went back and edited my vote to make a new plan/option for people to vote for, if they wanted that necklace too. The main difference between my plan and 'The shopping list' besides going for the necklace instead of the sword is I'm letting Soahin have some of the Septims, and the fur armor in exchange for a few of those gold coins and armor.*

*Before the authors get on me for making our companion haul all that weight, lemme just say that this would be divvied up, but carried together, they can sell their haul to Lucan, or share the weight in the saddlebags on the way back to Whiterun.
 
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[X] Bits, bobs, books, and bows
[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.
 
[X] Bits, bobs, books, and bows
[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.
 
[X] Bits, bobs, books, and bows
[X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.
 
Vote
Adhoc vote count started by veteranMortal on Apr 24, 2022 at 9:08 AM, finished with 16 posts and 14 votes.

  • [X] Go to the tavern, she could use a drink and perhaps trying to socialize with the locals to make up for the lost reputation. Maybe she'll even meet Liesl again. She enjoyed the dance she had with the Nord girl… perhaps there will be an encore.
    [X] Go visit the witch. She has alchemical experience, albeit dark experience. Perhaps she could help Do'azda with the alchemical training she'll need to provide for whoever she chooses. Yes, the witch has something of a black reputation but that is also a sign of skill, in another sense.
    [X] The shopping list
    [X] Bits, bobs, books, and bows
    [X] The shopping list
    -[X] 34 Septims (1 point each)
    -[X] One powerful enchanted sword (rusted) (Value: ???)
    -[X] 1x Sapphire (8 points each)
    -[X] Fur Armor (x1) (3 points each)
    -[X] Hunting bow (3 points) (Good quality)
    -[X] 1x Spell Tome: Flames (8 points)
    -[X] 1x Spell Tome: Illumination (Light) (8 points)
    -[X] 1x 'A Handy Guide to Lockpicks' (3 points)
    -[X] 1x 'The Queen's Lover' (3 points)
    -[X] 1x 'Assorted books which have rather "controversial" or "explicit" woodcuts.' (3 points)
    [X] Bits, bobs, books, and bows
    -[X] 22 Septims (1 point each)
    -[X] 30 Gold Coins (worth, probably, ½ point each)
    -[X] One gold, silver, and gemstone necklace (Value: ???)
    -[X] 1x Sapphire (8 points each)
    -[X] Hunting bow (3 points) (Good quality)
    -[X] 1x Spell Tome: Flames (8 points)
    -[X] 1x Spell Tome: Illumination (Light) (8 points)
    -[X] 1x 'A Handy Guide to Lockpicks' (3 points)
    -[X] 1x 'The Queen's Lover' (3 points)
    -[X] 1x 'Assorted books which have rather "controversial" or "explicit" woodcuts.' (3 points)


A close one, actually! Well, in one category. But there we go.
 
Time to see DJ Sven for some tunes! He's not gonna be mad, right? Considering him and Faendal basically did the same thing, it's all a big joke, 'innit? And VM, you don't need arrows to the knee when you can give them to others! But all that crouching's gonna be hell on ours. Maybe we should've gone to that witch for potion theory. She's probably got a recipe for some sort of fantasy icy-hot liniment or balm, right?

Here's hoping the sword's dope, and Soahin can get a good price for the necklace, I suppose.

And, we don't necessarily need to go stealth archer, we can always go stealth axe, instead!
 
Liesl
Liesl

The trip down is very quiet. Do'azda all but rattles with all the books she has, nine or ten of them, ranging from valuable Spell Tomes that she should probably read when she has the time or energy to a guide to lockpicking to… racier books. The books and pamphlets do include a simple romance novel, but also include things that would make anyone blush. Most seem at least vaguely anatomically impossible, but bandits being as they are--and mostly male--they're by and large of no interest to her.

But she is a little curious and they could at least be offloaded. There are cats who would appreciate that in ways she only thinks about with a shudder, and books feel more as if they are her sort of thing. They're also easy to carry, all things considered.

They reach the bridge at last, and Soahin is starting to limp. She seems to have sprained something on the way down, or else she is still stiff from the ice.

"This was… an experience," Soahin says.

"One you do not want to ever repeat?" Do'azda guesses.

"The Shaman could say that. But Soahin made it out alive, and with treasure and stories. It is the life of a mercenary she leads, not that of a wool-gatherer. Soahin wants a drink and a nap. If Soahin was in a better mood, she would say that now is the time to find some comely man. But she is in no mood, and these furless ones… has Do'azda ever?"

"No," Do'azda said, but thought of Liesl and the dance they'd shared. She is an odd sort of tired where these thoughts bubble around in her head. She would not think it is possible, but she feels a rising sort of desire, even if just for a kiss and a dance. But she would not say no to more, as unlikely as it is, she decides.

She wants something that reminds her that she's alive and all those bandits aren't. That she's good at more than just killing and magic. There are other things she could do to prove that, but all of them are too difficult in a moment like this where her brain doesn't seem to be entirely working.

"But is the Shaman opposed?"

"Not necessarily," she admits. It is nobody else's business, but she's tangled tails several times, and the odds of this happening tonight are almost none… but if it happens, she would certainly not say no even if the other is not a Khajiit.

The Khajiit do not demand their Shamans keep celibate. Famously, Bahvi Ahrdawi conducted much and more of her work through the simple fact of having a child or grandchild in every conceivable corner of Elsweyr.

For all that, Do'azda knows such things are less common outside of Elsweyr; many Khajiit find themselves abruptly short of goodwill towards Men and Mer in short order.

Raised voices interrupt her chain of thought as she passes under the gateless archway marking Riverwood's boundary.

"I'm leaving, by the Nine! There's no need to shove!" Lucan's words are a little slurred, and he sounds distinctly put upon.

"You're disgracing yourself, Lucan, and your sister. You've been at the tavern since morning, drinking and complaining. I won't stand by and watch Orgnar pour half our stock down your throat. You'll thank me tomorrow." The woman's voice is firm, but not cruel. "You've had a shock, you need time to get it together, but by the divines, I swear you'll find it easier sober."

The woman is tall and severe, her blonde hair threaded with grey, and as Lucan staggers away, her eyes catch on Do'azda and Soahin for a moment, flicking from their bulging packs to their weapons and then away. She turns and returns to the inn without a word.

"Ah! The shaman and… I'm sorry, I don't know who you are" Lucan says, "Did you give up on finding that claw? I was thinking, they've probably melted it down already. I'm sorry for wasting your time. Perhaps you'd be better heading back to Whiterun?"

"They had not melted it down. This one has got it in her pack," Do'azda says, and watches the transformation in Lucan's face.

"You have?" He replies. "We must get back at once to my store. We can put the claw back in pride of place, and I can see what my sister has agreed with your caravaneer friends?"

The transformation of his mood is quite startling, and Do'azda exchanges a glance with Soahin as Lucan makes his way down the street, a jaunt in his step incongruous with the amount of alcohol he's apparently put away.

Hurrying to catch up, Do'azda and Soahin intercept Lucan just outside the shop as he stumbles slightly. Do'azda reaches for the door, but hesitates at the sound of raised voices.

"It doesn't matter who told me, Faendal! I feel humiliated." Camilla's voice is quavering a little. "I could almost expect this from Sven, but I thought we were friends?"

"I don't want you to be my friend, Camilla. Why do you think I spent so much time with you? To be friends? Grow up!"

The slap that follows is likely as satisfying to Do'azda as it was for Camilla, as she imagines the elf's smug expression being cracked off his face.

"Did you just hit me? You bitch!" Faendal sounds almost incandescent with rage, and Do'azda opens the door to intervene.

"That's close enough, little mer." Ma'randru-jo says, his voice heavy with threat. "This one would be a poor guard if he let you strike one he is charged to watch."

"I- You- A cat?" Faendal says, and Do'azda has to jump back as the door swings open violently, Faendal striding out, barely giving her a second glance. "Another cat. Your doing, I take it?"

He's moved off before she can reply.

"Sister! Camilla! I'm back from the inn! Did you know Delphine's back?" Lucan says, blithely ignoring his sister's personal drama.

"Oh, Delphine's always been a good sort, I suppose that's why she's not let you keep wallowing and… Do'azda? Soahin?" Camilla stops short at the sight of the two Khajiit. "You survived! I feared you'd gone to your deaths! Did you get the claw?"

Do'azda nods, distracted. "This one has it. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Faendal is upset, but… I would say he'll get over it, but I don't much care. He ought to be at the timber mill, anyway." Camilla says. "Someone; one of the brigands? Came down from the mountain with a crushed wrist, and Gerdur is watching him - she has some experience with crushed bones from the timber mill. He'll lose the hand, and she gives him even odds of dying before sunup tomorrow even so. If he survives, well, the punishment for theft is to lose a hand, so…"

"He's suffered enough, the poor man." Lucan says, "And we got the claw back, didn't we? We can start negotiations with our khajiit friend here, if you've not already done it?"

"We've talked it through a little, I can bring you up to speed," Camilla replies.

The conversation is almost immediately beyond Do'azda's understanding or interest, and she stays for just long enough for Soahin to hand over the Golden Claw before she leaves.

Do'azda sinks into one of the seats in the tavern with a groan of relief, off her feet for the first time since early in the morning.

"Do'azda? Do'azda Khrimnin?" The woman who removed Lucan says, looming over the table Do'azda has sat at. From here, Do'azda can see that she's surprisingly well-built for an innkeeper, and her gaze is sharp and analytical. "Orgnar tells me you were the first out of Helgen to arrive here, before you moved on? I'm sorry to have missed you, I had business."

"Yes, this one was here before the main wave of refugees. Does the innkeeper have any specific questions?" Do'azda asks. She may be tired, but she's aware enough to know she's being interrogated. "And can she know what your name is?"

"Delphine. Did you see Ulfric Stormcloak at all?" The woman replies, slightly curt. "Is it true he had been arrested and was facing execution when the beast attacked?"

Do'azda takes a half second to suppress her reaction. "This one saw him being prepared for execution before the dragon attacked, but she does not think this was related…"

"I see," Delphine replies. "You're likely correct. My apologies for bothering you - do you want a bottle of mead on the house? Orgnar brews his own, its not bad at all,"

"This one would appreciate that, yes." Do'azda says, relief rippling through her. The woman may be able to tell Do'azda knows more than she says, but she's not pressing her on it.

The mead is rough, and so strong as to bring tears to her eyes, but it is sweet and refreshing all the same. It helps, because the wounds and the aches are starting to come back in full force. The alcohol dulls them and isolates them, because she's pretty sure that if she doesn't drink something she'll be too sore to do much but hobble around.

Of course, there are painkillers she could make herbally, and in theory there are potions she's heard the ingredients to that might be able to dull pain. But she has neither the ingredients, and those are hardly safe either: more for recovery than for action, since wandering around without any sense of pain is a good way to exacerbate injuries anyways.

She is so lost in her thoughts that she almost doesn't notice a few people whispering and looking in her direction. They clear off soon enough.

She's still nursing her first cup almost a half hour later - mindful that a drink brewed for a nord could knock her down with deceptive ease - when the evening crowd begins to filter into the tavern.

This time she can all but feel their gazes on her, and when she turns two women who seem as if they are older wives, haggard and drawn and just looking for a quick drink, shiver at her gaze and get up to move further away.

Do'azda is not entirely unaware of this, it is not like the small caravan she traveled with did not have the pick of seats in the taverns along the way as everyone cleared out to be as far away from the Khajiit as possible.

But she is too drunk not to care, but not drunk enough to be oblivious. She finishes much of the rest of the goblet of mead in a few long swallows, and shivers, wiping away the tears as she feels the liquid courage do its work.

Even this is not enough when Sven swaggers in and begins talking loudly enough that even she can hear. "A moral abyss, a killer with an axe…" are some of the more charitable phrases that bubble up through the background noise. Sven, it turns out, can be remarkably inventive, and she stands and walks over to the bar where Delphine is.

"Could Do'azda have another goblet? Watered down a little further? She does not want to feel this in the morning, but…"

[-3 Septims]

But she could really use being more confident and more numb. Her shoulders are even aching from the weight she carried and all the tumbling and scraping. She needs to keep her tail perky and her mood up. She is still hoping that Liesl or someone else shows up, or at least Lucan or one of the Valeriuses.

But as she returns to her seat, she settles into the glares and thinks that perhaps Lucan has decided not to get any more drunk than he already is, and his sister is perhaps too busy with the work of settling the deal. Whatever that deal is.

There is a world where she's able to at least follow the overall conclusion of such a discussion, but it is not a world where the events of Bleak Falls Barrow did not happen. She sips a little more and settles back into her seat, scanning those that enter as she does.

When she sees Liell, she cannot help but stare. Her dress is finer than the one Do'azda has last seen her wearing, the cotton loose and fluttery, just a little bit different but clearly costing twice as much. It is the kind of dress one does not just wear on a whim, and her honey-blonde hair is done up in the same braid as before, but even more artfully arranged. She looks around, and even from a distance Do'azda sees the curiosity and seeking on her face.

It is enough to force her heart into a race it cannot win, and she sees the interest on Liesl's face when she sees Do'azda.

But when she begins to move towards the Shaman, a hand stops her and she's pulled away to talk to Sven and others.

Do'azda's racing heart abruptly trips and falls flat on its face. She has a few minutes to brood over it, drinking a little bit deeper from her cup. She does not try to brood, but the frustration has its own sour taste. And that taste grows more and more bitter as a minute of talking turns into several more, with Liesl just listening and frowning as Sven and the others no doubt spin tall tails.

Then, Liesl gets up all of a sudden and begins marching towards Do'azda. She stops in front of her seat and pulls out her own seat, sliding into it and talking immediately without preamble. "I've heard you are a bandit killer and a public menace, Do'azda."

"Well," Do'azda begins, prepared to defend herself. Then she realizes something. The words do not sound accusing at all. In fact, Liesl's voice is positively dripping with fascination and, if Do'azda is not reading her wrong, desire. "I won't ask too deeply about the public menace... but I am curious what has brought you back here again, Do'azda. We did not talk about much, last time. We let our bodies do the talking, and had quite a dance. So... what is this about the bandits?"

Do'azda fidgets, her poor heart already starting to recover and the frisson of attraction now deepening into open arousal.

"Do'azda came with some merchants to negotiate with Valerius. But thieves, you've heard, had--"

"Stolen something from him?" Liesl said. "I heard. Where did they go?"

"Bleak Falls Barrow. So Do'azda and a mercenary went in after them," she said, deciding not to tell what might seem like tall tales of Draugr. "We just got back an hour or two ago."

"Ah, is that your profession? Adventurer?" she asked. "I'll admit, I never asked for many details."

"Do'azda is a Shaman, in charge of protecting and helping Khajiit in Whiterun."

"Oh, a Shaman. I don't know much about them, but it seems like a lot of responsibility. And a lot of adventure, if it brings you back here to delve into a dungeon… I've always thought of going to Whiterun. But I don't know what I'd do there."

"Do'azda wonders, what do you do?" she asks.

"I help out at the Smithy and the Mill as a day laborer, and sometimes I set traps or pick berries. My father was wiped out after a few bad years, about… two decades ago, when I was young. So we moved into town and did what we could to get by." She shrugs, "But it is not that interesting."

Do'azda smiles a rather toothy grin and finishes her drink. "Do'azda is not bored at all, and she does not know how she could be. But if Liesl wishes to dance… Do'azda would be happy to."

A part of her is nervous about the fact that the glaring will only get worse if she does so. But Liesl seems not to care about the opprobrium of the village. If she is being honest, it seems as if this has only made Do'azda more appealing to her. This might have disturbed Do'azda, but she knows that Liesl was interested even before that. And ultimately, is that not how it is sometimes? She's a stranger from outside a town that seems to be full of vipers and louts, and so of course Liesl is drawn a little bit to her. She feels flattered, though she does not know if it's about her personally.

But so? It is not as if Do'azda's motives are snow-pure, neither of them knew each other's professions until this very night.

"I would love to dance with you," Liesl says. "When a beautiful woman asks you to dance, only a fool says no."

Liesl's tone is earnest, but her eyes twinkle, because she has to know what her words are doing to Do'azda.

Do'azda realizes that she has to flirt back. She's done it before, though the context is always just a little different. Young apprentices, or people who know that she is a Shaman and know what that means, are a little more forgiving of a few little lapses. She has been doing her best, but she needs to do more. Do'azda carefully bats her tail to almost brush against Liesl's face.

But she undercorrects, and it almost bats her in the nose instead, just barely scraping past her. It is supposed to make the other Khajiit… er, person, think about tangled tails and look at the tail and what it is attached to a little more closely. But she has not the practice of it, and so she looks back blushing, having almost hit Liesl in the face.

…only to see Liesl staring at the tail in surprise, her eyes wandering up the tail…

Oh. It seems to have worked, Do'azda decided to herself with rapidly warming cheeks as she gestures 'carelessly' and playfully at Liesl.

Do'azda wishes she was not dressed in something like robes, and in this case she does have something beneath it. "One moment," she says, unbuttoning her robes. "Give Do'azda a… second"

Liesl flushes scarlet for a moment, until she registers that Do'azda has a dress on beneath her robes. "Warn a girl next time, killer."

Sven glowers as he takes another drink. She looks over at him with placid unconcern, but then realizes that in such a hostile tavern the last thing she wants to do is set her robe down. It will, she realizes, get accidentally soaked in mead that someone just 'happened' to spill all over it. And that's if someone doesn't just try to steal it.

That's how bad the glaring is.

"Do'azda will be just one moment," she says, and walks over towards Delphine. "Could you stow this away for Do'azda? She does not want to leave it unattended." It is a good thing that all but a small coin purse is over in the mercantile. She certainly wouldn't want to be armed or with all those books to sort through.

"I suppose I can do that," Delphine says. "Will you be needing a room?"

Do'azda blinks, and then realizes the implications of this. "Do'azda… will tell you if she does."

She is pretty sure that the merchants are going to be staying at the store, since there are not that many tavern rooms. It is not meant to be a rest stop for even a small party, and of course this is probably normal enough. They're not that far from Whiterun, and so plenty press on and those that don't probably have a reason, such as friends or family to stay with. Do'azda certainly is not staying in a tavern or hostel, but in the house of someone willing to put up with her.

Houses are more expensive than they should be for lack of space, thousands of Septims for something that might be barely called a house in Whiterun. She shakes these thoughts off, and turns to Liesl.

Instantly, her worries are forgotten and the desire comes raging back, fierce and wild, as she takes Liesl out to dance.

It is similar to last time: not slow dancing, but an athletic display. She is a little stronger than she was back then, but she is also injured and tired and so she is a bit slower. But as she kicks about and dances, she allows her eyes to roam more than they did before.

They are both rather warm by the end of the dance, and Liesl looks around for a second and says, "When are you leaving to go back to Whiterun, Do'azda?"

"Do'azda will be leaving tomorrow morning," she says, quietly. "When does Liesl have to be back where she stays?"

Liesel reaches out to wrap her hands around braided hair, and pulls Do'azda a bit closer. "When does Do'azda kiss Liesl?" she asks, her voice breathy.

Do'azda doesn't need to be told twice. She leans in, and begins kissing Liesl. She has at least some experience with it, but she knows that each of the people she's kissed have liked different things.

Liesl's hand goes to the small of Do'azda's back, and she pulls her in, deepening the kiss. Someone, somewhere far away, wolf whistles.

Liesl is almost panting. "After that… I can say… that she has to be back where she stays tomorrow morning."

Ah.

This is really happening. Her heart is racing, and she fidgets for a moment. But she wants this, she wants it so bad that she knows that even to a non-Khajiit her posture and body language are obvious. Ears perked, tail now moving lazily… if she walks now she knows it will be with a sort of swagger and a sway of her tail, leading someone onward.

"Of course," Do'azda says, and leads her over to Delphine. "Do'azda would like a room." She pulls out her partial coin purse and counts out the Septims.

[-20 septims]

"Here," Delphine says, tossing Do'azda her robes.

"Thanks," Do'azda replies, and then asks, "Which…"

"Third to the right."

Liesl places her hand on Do'azda's shoulder and doesn't even hide now that she's staring at Do'azda's tail and at her hair as she allows Do'azda to lead her towards the door.

The glaring and muttering get louder, but Do'azda pays it no mind at all as she opens the door and lets Liesl go in first. It is not much, of course, no featherbed… but she knows how to make do.

With a smile that cannot help but be satisfied, she closes the door behind her.

******

+35 (Bleak Falls Barrow/Golden Claw)]
+5 (A Lovely Letter)

Level 4!

40/55->25/70 XP

+1 One-Handed
+2 Conjuration
+1 Illusion

Skills (Choose 3 to increase by +5 for each, cannot increase anything more than five points at a time this level, cannot raise anything higher than 45 (not that this is relevant now))

Alchemy: 25
Alteration: 5
Archery: 5
Block: 5
Conjuration: 37
Destruction: 5
Enchanting: 5
Heavy Armor: 5
Illusion: 31
Light Armor: 10
Lock Picking: 0
One-Handed: 22
Pickpocket: 5
Restoration: 15
Smithing: 0
Sneak: 15
Speech: 15
Survival: 5
Two-Handed: 5


Perks (Choose 1)

The number in brackets is the requisite skill level to take the skill.

Soul Bind (30): Do'azda has mastered the skills needed to successfully and consistently bind a soul into a gem, a difficult and some would say questionable skill, but one in high demand to say the least. (Cojuration)

Powerful Conjuration (25): Do'azda knows how to summon creatures from further away from her, and how to better control their location and order them around. She is a Conjurer, and this is her art. (Conjuration)

Eye for Details (10): Illusions require a sharp eye that can take in the little details, and Do'azda has experience to help improve her ability to do just that, increasing the 'power' of her Illusion magic. (Illusion)

Mind-Teller (30): Do'azda is surprisingly good, or at least finds she has an aptitude for, spells involving affecting or influencing the minds of others. At this stage the greater potency is still relatively mild… but it presages greater power in the future. (Illusion)

Efficient Illusionst (20): She has grown and learned how to be more sparing with her magic, in order to allow her illusions to last longer and be less of a drain on her in the future. (Illusion)

Healer's Heart (10): Restoration is a sort of magic that takes real focus and the right mindset for the spells to work well: while Do'azda only knows how to make a healing potion, perhaps she can work into that mindset a little bit. (Restoration)

Armstrong (10): Do'azda's experiences with one-handed weapons have helped her to gain just a little bit of stamina, enough to be able to swing a sword, or axe, or indeed a shovel more regularly without exhausting herself… which means fighting better in general. (One Handed)

Hack And Slash (20): Do'azda's increasing reliable on axes has given her a greater understanding of some of the basic moves of axe-work and how to truly get in close to her enemies and use the axe to good effect. She's begun to work out how to deal with armor and shields in fighting. (One Handed)

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)

Quiet Does It (10): With Catlike Tread, Do'azda is a little subtler and a little better at not being noticed. (Stealth)

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)

In a Pinch 1 (10): One of the key facts of Alchemy was that you had to have the right ingredients to do anything. Well, there were many formulas and the more skilled an Alchemist was, the more that they could make with a box of herbs in a cave. This is the first improvement to that capacity. (Alchemy)

Concentrate (10): There are all sorts of tricks to Alchemy, but one way to stretch things further and either make more or begin work towards making stronger potions is how to concentrate down potion ingredients down into something more potent. (Alchemy)

*****

VM AN: Sorry about how long this took! We got sidetracked helping with another quest, and my uni work came to a bit of a crescendo.

TL AN: However, you leveled up! And Do'azda has continued her path of making many enemies… people can't stand to see a Khajiit winning, I suppose.
 
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Sven and Faendal are both assholes, but it's also not hard to see how Riverwood helped mold them into assholes, what with poor Hilde putting everything on Sven as the one good thing in her life and succeeding were she didn't as a 'true' Nord man, and Faendal doubling-down on his possessive stalking of Camilla as if her hand could somehow prove that he's better then any Nord lout and that all the ugly whispers about elves behind his back is just rank jealousy of his prowess.
 
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I'll shill again for my preferred Sneak + One-handed + Illusion build. It's so fun being a sneaky assassin, and when you meet groups that you cannot sneak upon, you blast them with rage spells and they take care of it themselves. Very fun gameplay.

[x] Sneak
[x] One-Handed
[x] Illusion

[x] Mind-Teller (30)
 
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Yeah girl, get some you earned it :lol:

[X] Speech
[X] Sneak
[X] Illusion
[X] Mind-Teller (30): Do'azda is surprisingly good, or at least finds she has an aptitude for, spells involving affecting or influencing the minds of others. At this stage the greater potency is still relatively mild… but it presages greater power in the future. (Illusion)
 
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[X] Speech
[X] Sneak
[X] Illusion

[X] Haggling 1 (0)

We're going to be doing a lot of talking/negotiating back in Whiterun, so we should ensure we're good enough at it to not get swindled in every transaction we make. Buffing our Sneak/Illusion skills will also help us out in our plan for the Thanes.
 
"No," Do'azda said, but thought of Liesl and the dance they'd shared. She is an odd sort of tired where these thoughts bubble around in her head. She would not think it is possible, but she feels a rising sort of desire, even if just for a kiss and a dance. But she would not say no to more, as unlikely as it is, she decides.

Gayyyyyyy

The Khajiit do not demand their Shamans keep celibate. Famously, Bahvi Ahrdawi conducted much and more of her work through the simple fact of having a child or grandchild in every conceivable corner of Elsweyr.
#momboss

"It doesn't matter who told me, Faendal! I feel humiliated." Camilla's voice is quavering a little. "I could almost expect this from Sven, but I thought we were friends?"

"I don't want you to be my friend, Camilla. Why do you think I spent so much time with you? To be friends? Grow up!"

The slap that follows is likely as satisfying to Do'azda as it was for Camilla, as she imagines the elf's smug expression being cracked off his face.
Very satisfying.


TL AN: However, you leveled up! And Do'azda has continued her path of making many enemies… people can't stand to see a Khajiit winning, I suppose.
#catboss
 
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