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Fire On The Mountain (A Skyrim Quest)

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Do'azda's Character Sheet
  • Informational
    • 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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  • Informational
    • [x] Teacher-Protector: It is the job of Shamans to guide and nurture others, as one might grow a crop. This sort of caregiver/guardian perspective on it might make her seem more harmless… but of course Soreld could claim she must have attacked the Thanes out of misplaced protector's wrath.
     
    [x] Negotiator-Peacemaker

    Update was a joy to read. I still really like Moric, and every character here really. I'm thinking we might still be able to come out of this on top. It really depends on how we handle Soreld, but I have faith in us.
     
    Adhoc vote count started by The Laurent on Sep 11, 2022 at 8:02 AM, finished with 30 posts and 28 votes.
    Click to expand...
     
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  • Voting
    • Scheduled vote count started by veteranMortal on Sep 10, 2022 at 11:05 AM, finished with 31 posts and 28 votes.
    • [x] Teacher-Protector: It is the job of Shamans to guide and nurture others, as one might grow a crop. This sort of caregiver/guardian perspective on it might make her seem more harmless… but of course Soreld could claim she must have attacked the Thanes out of misplaced protector's wrath.
      [x] Negotiator-Peacemaker: Emphasize the role that Shamans play in keeping peace within the community and between communities, in organizing efforts and keeping fights from breaking out. It might play to the Jarl, and certainly seem harmless, but Soreld could easily argue "who better to organize a harassment campaign?" or something of the like.
      [x] Teacher-Protector: It is the job of Shamans to guide and nurture others, as one might grow a crop. This sort of caregiver/guardian perspective on it might make her seem more harmless… but of course Soreld could claim she must have attacked the Thanes out of misplaced protector's wrath.
      [x] Negotiator-Peacemaker: Emphasize the role that Shamans play in keeping peace within the community and between communities, in organizing efforts and keeping fights from breaking out. It might play to the Jarl, and certainly seem harmless, but Soreld could easily argue "who better to organize a harassment campaign?" or something of the like.
      [x] Negotiator-Peacemaker
    Click to expand...
     
  • Voting
    • Pempelune said:
    Very fun chapter! Though I must admit I don't really feel like Doazda is in danger - the testimony has been really sloppy so far, I don't see how the Jarl could possibly convict. But I suppose the court of public opinion is who really matters here. We don't want to give cause for a pogrom.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Honestly, the major issue isn't whether the prosecution has evidence- they've basically pulled their accusations out of a hat just to have charges.

    The issue is that there are political forces invested in preventing Khajit from getting... let's just say 'uppity.' And these forces? Have decided an example needs to be set.

    Do'azda is the example, less because they've got a case and more because she's been notable and is close enough to the 'description' of 'A khajit who could cast illusion magic'. Unironically, the fact we actually were involved in the inciting incident is purely random chance! We were just unlucky and naive- unlucky in that Do'azda was the first notable person who fit the profile, and naive enough to commit a crime where Do'azda would be one of the few people likely to fit the profile.

    Also, we OOC know ahead of time that the Jarl has already pretty much decided his sentence, so Do'azda is probably all but guaranteed to go into exile not based on the strength of any case, but based on the political considerations at hand- the Jarl needs to punish Do'azda enough to prevent his racist subjects from starting a pogrom against the Khajit population. To stop this, we wouldn't need to convince the Jarl. We'd need to present a case solid enough to convince all the racists who want to do a race war, so that the Jarl would no longer need to appease them by punishing Do'azda.

    Given we're not going to be able to do that barring a miracle- which we can't reasonably expect, even though we're the Dragonborn- our OOC goal should be to try to angle for a least-bad punishment, not to hope to be found not guilty.

    Least bad punishment meaning being exiled for a shorter period (idk if we're expecting exile for a number of years or for life, for example), or a lesser form of exile (not permitted into the city, rather than not being permitted into the hold, for example)... Obviously, getting banished from the hold entirely is going to be a major complication for Do'azda, on account of her being assigned as shaman for Whiterun's Khajit population and all, but the Jarl has no reason to care about that, since we don't represent a political faction which he has to care about at this point in time.
     
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    The Trial, Part 2
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    • The Trial, Part 2

    Do'azda understands just why people like desks. There's something to be said for a meeting or testimony where she is not standing, exposed, before all and sundry. Even a podium would be better than this, as she stands up as straight as she can. She has to actively work to keep her tail from lashing. Those who know Khajiit will know that's a sign of stress she doesn't want to project, and those that don't she knows will be put off balance by it.

    (When a Khajiit is weirded out by how there's not a tail to watch, to gauge moods and evaluate things, it is the Khajiit's problem; when a non-Khajiit is weirded out by the presence and liveliness of a Khajiit tail, it is also the Khajiit's problem.)

    At least Moric is first, and he's going to start it simple.

    "Do'azda, we have been talking quite a lot about what a Shaman's duties are, at least when the priests came up, so I'm curious if you could tell the court a little more about yourself and about what a Shaman is and what they do." Moric talks carefully, but he has people hooked, she's pretty sure. Shamans are a strange exotic element in Skyrim, and so she takes care to answer as gently as possible.

    "Do'azda Khrimnin is in her first assignment as a Shaman. We seek to protect the community, and we do that by fostering and developing it. A shaman teaches the poorest about thrift and resources available, and talks to the rich to help them understand their duties to those less well off. She protects the great and the small, the male and the female, the old and the young alike, and she has to act in such a way that she is not biased against anyone but acts for everyone." Do'azda allows herself to relax. It's not that she's lying, so much as she could give a dozen speeches about what it is a Shaman is truly supposed to do, and they'll all be true.

    "So she has been working hard to prepare the Khajiit of this community--"

    Best not to get into a debate about what it is called.

    "For winter. When it comes, those without homes or warmth will suffer, as will those that are sick and lack ways to keep at work. So this has been what has taken up most of her time."

    "So I have to ask, now that we're looking for some clarification, as to what happened on the night of the 21st, when you were accused of smuggling."

    "Oh, one of the mercenaries in the area had gone missing when entering an area known to have bandits. His friend was fearful for his safety and asked me to go along to check on him. He'd been captured by bandits, but we were able to deal with the problem. But among other things they had had bags for beds, and fur armor that could also make clothes, and so Do'azda took these things. Many had very little worth, and the beds and fur clothing was in need of a thorough wash! But they would be useful for someone." She took a breath, "She knows too well how these things can get worse and worse. So she was focused on that."

    "Very commendable. So, as part of your duties, what sorts of things did you do?"

    "Do'azda needs to understand not just the Khajiit, but all sides of Whiterun. She has been very busy, which is why she was unable to meet with the priests immediately, but she planned on meeting everyone she could. This included exploring the bookshops and districts of Whiterun, and talking to all manner of business owners across the area. There can be unexpected aid in the generosity of those not used to being asked," she says.

    The key is to keep on saying true things, but things that could mean everything. She truly does believe that in the Dunmer and Argonians there is room for friendship: but she is also aware that she, in part, is talking about things that even if they are mundane would be controversial.

    If Nords are anything like Altmer, then they get nervous even when it is simply a Bosmer and a Khajiit talking of working together to feed the hungry. Let alone, as she has done, participating in a conspiracy against the Captain of the Guard.

    "And so, you were looking for bookstores?"

    "Yes, and Do'azda found several, including one in the Dunmer quarters," she says. She won't say who she found it with, but it was a bookstore and Evola did not need to be mentioned or even spoken of.

    If he is anything like he seems, he is arrogant enough and proud enough that he would want to be at least a little bit known.

    Though he showed up, and is still there in the crowd of people. This isn't the common crowd, but no doubt Evola is able to play up not being one of the… groups of the sort who stand at the gates and chant.

    "Now, how would you say Sinmir's dismissal made you feel?"

    Do'azda understands what Moric is doing. It doesn't stop her from almost lashing her tail at it. It's better that she answer now when someone won't follow up with needling words than later. "Do'azda cannot say she was disappointed. She heard bad things said of him, though she did not interest herself in the specifics, being too busy."

    "So, did you know about Sinmir's dismissal before it happened?"

    "No," Do'azda says, her face quite guileless, or so she hopes. "She did not have time to pay such close attention to news. if he truly did as the rumours said he did, then she cannot say that it is the wrong decision for the Jarl to make."

    "Very well, then. There's a few more matters to clear up, though we'll go through them quickly," Moric said.

    He's letting off the pressure, and Do'azda allows herself to be walked through a discussion of the skeevers attacking the dog, of the attempt to clear them out from the side of the wall, and also matters like her visit to the temples and her plans to visit more. There's not much to say, about most of it, since she doesn't want to reopen cases that seem almost won at least in those areas.

    Then of course, he gets to the difficult question, and the one where Do'azda is going to have to mix even more deception in with the truth. She feels almost like an artist, trying to get the exact shade she needs.

    "So, where were you last night? What were you up to?"

    "Do'azda was trying to deal with a very tricky problem: Rattles. She noticed that some of the homeless were suffering from a disease, and she needed to deal with it, for it makes the winters even worse." She considers it, and adds, "She was thinking that one way would be to make the potions herself. But for some illnesses, treatment must be long-term, and so she was thinking about training up someone else to help as well."

    "Why is that important, if you could do it?" Moric asks. She flicks her tail at this moment, unable to help it.

    "A Shaman is not supposed to be a ruler, but a guide and helper. What teacher leaves their student unable to function if they are absent?" Do'azda says. "In the end, a Shaman may have to leave, or may get injured, or may not be present at all." She doesn't like thinking about it, especially since that is what might happen to her: if she's exiled they'll simply have to do without a Shaman, and she'll have to hope that what little aid she has been able to manage in such a short time will be enough to help them get through the problems of the coming winter. The deal at least should hold even if she is exiled.

    "So, where were you staying?"

    "At the house of a mother, who opened up her house to me when I arrived. There is a spare room for now, though when her husband arrives back from his long-term hunting trips, ones that take him and others far beyond this local forest," she adds, aware that this could be a line of attack, "Do'azda will have to move. She was thinking about where she should live, but she had too much to do to move yet."

    "This goodwife, does she stay at home most nights?"

    "Yes, she does," Do'azda said. She is reasonably sure that Ka'hasa will lie for her if it comes down to that, but she also knows that a Khajiit's word is not always viewed as trustworthy, and that Soreld will make much of the fact that she's a hunter's wife even if he cannot imply that her husband was in on whatever conspiracy he is imagining.

    There is just no way around it, she needs an alibi and being at home thinking and considering a difficult issue is about as good of one as she can manage without overcomplicating everything. Obviously she could make huge lies and trust in the goodwill of the community, but the more elaborate the lie the more likely something will go wrong.

    "Very well," Moric says, with a nod. He has been standing stock still and rigid, just as she has, and so the scene is static, easy. But Soreld is watching and she can tell he's trying to work something out. But she doesn't know much.

    He has one of those faces where it's easy to tell that he's thinking, but hard to tell what he's thinking, excepting those moments where he is clearly thinking that he's smelled something bad. But now he's thinking--what?

    Did she make a mistake?

    There are several ways that what she says can go wrong, but she doesn't want to second-guess herself in a moment like this where she already has to present a bold face to things.

    "Did you come to a decision, by the way? On who you'd be teaching?"

    "Do'azda had a few ideas," she says, absently. "She knows that she cannot choose anyone who is already doing important work, but there are a few cats who work, but not as much as they would like." This is a generous way to put them, the 'layabouts' also don't seem as if they want to do such work as this, especially for such a pittance as it is likely to be.

    "So what were you doing last night?"

    "This one was thinking on how to address the rattles; she encountered it only rarely in Elsweyr, but it seems it is more common in Skyrim - she understands perhaps this is the case for all diseases of the breath? The condition lingers in the throat and mouth; it is inert typically, but once it reaches the lungs, it creates a terrible mucus which clings, blocking air - creating the eponymous "rattles" as the sufferer breathes. There are some common potions which loosen the mucus, allowing it to be coughed out, reducing the sufferer's discomfort, but what is really needed is a potion to remove the disease at the root, and Do'azda was working over how to replace those herbs from Elsweyr with herbs from Skyrim - not helped by how, in the dry warmth of her home, the disease rarely progresses."

    "It is so, then! Do'azda was working to cure a disease all here know is most wretched, bane of the cradle and the sickbed, scourge of the poor, and yet still she is accused of such crimes?" Moric says, "I am affronted on her behalf. Those who would accuse her ought to be ashamed."

    "You know, I too do not come from around here," Soreld says, with a half-mocking little smile. He looks around. "I actually came from the capital, and it's odd isn't it, how little differences can add up."

    "Relevance," Moric calls out.

    "I am curious where you are going," Balgruuf says.

    "I will get to a question soon. But Skyrim is a different place than Elsweyr, isn't it? It's a lot to get used to, I know even a smaller move was for me," Soreld continues.

    "The trip was long, yes," Do'azda says, which is not an answer but she knows that there is a trap somewhere that she's not seeing. If there is not a trap he wouldn't be bothering to talk to her.

    She knows full well what sort of Nord Soreld truly is.

    "Why, the drinks I found in Whiterun are different than those back home. Not much different, but different vintages are popular, and the fashion is just a little different," Soreld said. "Do you ever feel any of that in Kreenya Khajiiti?"

    Do'azda's tail flicked, and Soreld smiled, "Do you not like the name?"

    "The grammar is… wrong," Do'azda admits. She is wary but the words come out. "Do'azda did not think she liked the name 'Little Elsweyr' until she heard the alternatives."

    "So there are differences, then? The Khajiit sing different songs, dance different ways, wear different clothing than you are used to?"

    But there is something in his tone… and she realizes that he sounds like someone who has caught someone in her trap. It makes her think of the hunters. She doesn't know what the trap is, but she knows how to spot a social trap.

    But she doesn't know how to get out of it, "One could say that. Differences exist between place and place."

    She has time to realize what one of the prongs of the trap is. If she swears up and down, against all evidence, that the Khajiit of Little Elsweyr are entirely as the Khajiit of Elsweyr, that is an unbelievable absurdity, and one that only makes Khajiit seem alien.

    But what's the other?

    "Certainly, differences of food. Are the same meats and vegetables available in Skyrim that are available in Elsweyr? Do you believe that to be the case?'

    "Objection," Moric says. "I do not see what your point is."

    The Jarl, who has looked bored this past minute, turns to Soreld. "What are you saying?"

    "If she will answer my question, I'll reveal where I'm going."

    "Yes, there are different fruits, and vegetables, and a few different meats, though not as many as you'd think," Do'azda says.

    "Would you say, then, there are different spices? That the kinds of spices that you might be used to in Elsweyr might not be present at all in Skyrim, let alone familiar to the average Khajiit born in Skyrim. This is because when you cast your illusions on the honorable and good Thanes, they came with scents that followed you, trailed after you, from your far off, beloved home of Elsweyr."

    "This is not the case," Do'azda says, but inside she is reeling.

    It… would do something to narrow it down. If it isn't any Khajiit with illusion abilities but any Khajiit with illusion abilities that is familiar with the spices of the old country.

    "It is doubly not the case because the honored witness would not know either way what an Elsweyr spice is, and because even if they did of all the things that do not travel, spices are not one of them."

    This is true, too.

    She's seen more spices from Elsweyr than she's seen fruits from it. Spices applied to food that is half-Nord in its contents and character. A taste of home, for the Khajiit of Elsweyr did not like bland, under-spiced food.

    But she's aware of how it looks, and she's equally aware that he's actually put his finger on something dangerous.

    "Perhaps, perhaps. I would guess a breton noble knows more of the spices of Elsweyr than a slumcat from Little Elsweyr, but perhaps not," Soreld says, "So instead, I'd like some more information - who saw you that night? Can you corroborate your alibi?"

    "This one was in Ka'hasa's home all night; Ka'hasa can surely confirm this," Do'azda lies.

    "And you were in the room she has given you, correct?" Soreld asks, "Did Ka'hasa accompany you? I had assumed it was a rather small room, but no doubt you could fit both in the bed, at least?"

    "Ka'hasa was not in the room," Do'azda replies stiffly, resenting the implication. "Do'azda did not spend all her time in that room, sir. She is not some construct of the dwemer, to labour without tiring."

    "When?" Soreld asks, "I only ask because… Ka'hasa's home is on the outskirts, correct?"

    Do'azda nods, grudgingly. Perhaps a different alibi might've been better, but its too late now.

    "So could you not have slipped out for a time," Soreld asks, feigning curiosity, his tone clear that he's humouring her, "And Ka'hasa may not even have noticed?"

    "Conjecture," Moric dismisses. "She has an alibi, and you can do no more than continue to make snide little potshots, because your case is cracking at the seams."

    Soreld just smirks. How she hates him.

    "At any rate," Moric says, moving on swiftly, "There's no reason why Do'azda would do this? Surely the risk is too high for the reward? What would even be the reward?"

    "I don't suppose to know what might bring a khajiit to criminality," Soreld says, "Perhaps she simply resented the thanes their good fun?"

    Do'azda blinks guilelessly.

    "Their good fun?" She echoes.

    "Its well known the khajiit consider some of the forest theirs," Soreld dismisses, "And they despise our leal thanes for having the good humour to drink and party in the woods. If Do'azda is among these khajiit…"

    "Did the thanes often go to the woods drunk?" Do'azda asks, "Isn't that dangerous? What if there was an accident?"

    Soreld clears his throat. "I'm sure they were always careful, but perhaps some khajiit might believe otherwise?"

    Do'azda shrugs. "This one does not think so. The khajiit of Kreenya Khajiiti know the risks of living in Skyrim, she is sure."

    Soreld narrows his eyes. "Do you feel they are too accepting of these risks, Do'azda?"

    "This is going nowhere," The Jarl interrupts. "I tire of Soreld asking Do'azda if she committed the crime. She will admit to nothing, guilty or no, this is mere theatre."

    "As you say, my jarl," Soreld says with a shallow bow. "Shall we speak instead about Sinmir's dismissal?"

    "Again?" Moric asks caustically. "Surely there is no more blood you can draw from the stone."

    "I understand," Soreld says, "That you were searched by a man of the guard? Vigorously?"

    Do'azda sets her jaw. "Yes. He found nothing amiss, and this one was allowed to continue with her day."

    "How did it make you feel?" Soreld asks. "Upset? Violated? Angry?"

    "This one was glad he had no issues with her," Do'azda fights to keep her tone calm. "She understands that the guards must investigate their suspicions, to crack down on criminality."

    "And if you heard some rumours that the guards were corrupt, their leader not who he said he was," Soreld tries again, "Would you, perhaps, wish to spread such information?"

    "If Do'azda heard such news - and knew it for certain to be true," Do'azda replies carefully, "She would bring it to the guards, or perhaps the jarl. But she did not hear any such news until the matter was resolved, at any rate."

    Soreld scowls. "Is that so? You must be a conscientious khajiit indeed, for I understood it was rare among your people to speak with members of the guard."

    Do'azda doesn't answer, and Soreld scoffs with exasperation.

    The rest of her cross-examination is desultory; she deflects questions about some issues, expands on others, but Do'azda cannot shake the feeling that this was the point about which the trial pivots. Win or lose, it was decided by these exchanges.

    VM AN: No vote this time, sorry! We'll try to get the next update out soon, and you'll get a vote there, hopefully.

    TL AN: Probably! But yeah, Soreld, what a card. Real stand-up guy.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Alright, the reveal of the illusionary scents does make Do'azda a prime suspect, but the nature of the evidence amounts to "he said, she said". So, it depends on whether the Jarl trusts the Bretons more than Do'azda. Or whether he can afford not to trust them more.

    I believe Soreld's return to the more spurious charges was primarily meant to call into question Do'azda's personal narrative. Do the Nords really believe Do'azda is such a perfect citizen as to report criminal activity and/or corruption to the authorities? And if she isn't, can they trust she's as altruistic and truthful as she portrays herself?

    Do'azda's counter about the regularity of thane drunken hunting was well-made and Soreld's rejoinder was weak. Unfortunately, it implies a motive for her to have committed the crime.
     
    I think Balgruuf sees right through Soreld's little games, but that's not the point, the point is how the big clan chieftains of the Hold react and judge Do'azda based on her being Khajiit, and how the Jarl must always keep on his toes politicking with them. Normally there would be larger systems of the High King's court and the agents of the Empire to keep things running at least well enough for there to be less open pogroms, but uh, the civil war.
     
    I think on the merits we would win, but this isn't going to be decided on the merits, it's going to be decided by the political demands of the nobles.

    Also there needs to be an actual reason for our dragon born to actually get out and adventure instead of being stuck in Little Elsewhere (autocorrect)
     
    The Trial, Part 3
  • Threadmarks
    • The Trial, Part 3

    The rest of the trial is not long. A few more witnesses poking around at how out and about Do'azda is, a few more discussions and debates about exactly how to interpret Sinmir's dismissal, but nothing that she really remembers more than vaguely until they got to the closing statements.

    "Do'azda the Shaman has few excuses for her behavior and actions. All she can say involving both Sinmir and the attack on the Thanes is that there is not proof not only beyond doubt--for we have that--but beyond even the fantasies she is spreading with her talk of some other Khajiit doing it, and not the most well-known illusionist in Kreenya Khajiiti. In the matter of just a week she has made herself disgusting to everyone by her filthy and degenerate actions, by her criminality and corruption, and by the violence and discord that seems to follow her. We can only hope that she has not spread such behavior to the fair Khajiit outside Whiterun."

    Soreld almost simpers the last bit. "We have to hope that she has not had enough to bring with her ideas best left to the Aldmeri Union. I request that her acts of treason be punished, in the name of the Hold and of justice."

    Moric stands. "We have seen time and again that Soreld has nothing new to say and no real point to make. He can stand and talk about justice, when few of his witnesses agree well with him or can find much to say that contributes enough. The closest he has come to making any argument involves the events of last night, and even then all that he has is supposition and a story, one that is nothing more than a child's fairy-tale. Whiterun is stronger when it does not fall to falsehoods but instead searches for the truth." He looks around, "I hope that you dismiss all charges, because they have no truth to any of them."

    He sits down with a bow in Jarl Balgruuf's direction.

    Then Balgruuf nods, and frowns, hunching just a little bit. He's thinking, Do'azda can tell. But about what he's going to decide? Or about how he's going to say it? She can't know.

    Nobody interrupts for several minutes. It is painful, the tension, but she sits at the chair and tries to work through breathing exercises. She does not think she'll be executed, the trial did not seem nearly so one-sided. But if she is exiled forever, what is she to do? Stay in Skyrim? Flee back to Elsweyr with her tail between her legs?

    Finally he spoke, "The situation seems in many ways quite unclear to me: there seems to be much room for misinterpretation of the facts, as they are difficult to establish on such short notice, and without proper investigation in all cases. I would like, before I reveal my verdict, to thank Soreld for his efforts, and Moric for his work."

    Both men nodded, and Do'azda grasps on any tuft of fur she can grab: efforts versus work. The whole room is leaning in, everyone wants to see what happens next. Her tail lashes, helplessly, as he continues.

    "I can find no validity in any of the lesser charges, except in theory those involving encouraging begging: and yet even with those, I do not think we want to encourage the people of Whiterun to be more cruel and arbitrary to those least able to survive. This leaves the more serious charges."

    Moric relaxes, but Soreld is watching, intent, perking up, waiting for it. Hoping for it.

    "Nor can I say that Do'azda's guilt in any of these cases is assured beyond the necessary doubt--"

    A breath.

    The whole room breathes in.

    "However."

    And then the breath goes out, like a gust, like the sighing of the whole world. The wind blows over the tundra and it sings an old song.

    However. However. However.

    Do'azda does not let it show in her face, but she knows however is not good. She knows that this is--

    "However, it is impossible to deny that she is inciting tensions in Kreenya Khajitti. It has indeed only been a week, and so whatever her intent it is clear that there needs to be time for tension to fade, and perhaps for the Shaman to… think carefully. It is a matter of public security, I rule, that she spend some time beyond the borders of this Hold. This exile will be temporary, a period of cooling off."

    Do'azda does not react, she is frozen, waiting for the words to come down.

    But she thinks she knows what she'll do: she'll need to stay here, and wait for that day, and prepare. Do what she can. This is not the end, it is just a beginning. The Valerius siblings may take her in whilst she waits, or put her in contact with a caravan, or…

    "Perhaps, we may--"

    The door at the back of the hall bursts open.

    Everyone turns all at once to look at who is stalking forward.

    Do'azda blinks in shock, eyes wide.

    She's glad that the woman before her is still alive. The Dunmer looks grim. "I apologize for the interruption, Jarl Balgruuf--" she says it without looking even the least bit sorry. She is half dressed in armor and she has her weapons at her belt, as if there is a war. "But the crowd outside, the Nord mob, is pressing hard against the guards placed there. Danica stopped to calm them, but the guards, they're at risk of falling before the crowd, and they need reinforcement so that the trial of…"

    And then she blinks, losing her train of thought entirely as she looks at Do'azda for a long moment.

    "My Jarl, may I inform you that I have found the Dragonborn?"

    "It is very good that you have, Irileth, but we can talk about this afterwards. Perhaps we should call for reinforcements," Balgruuf says, "And look, perhaps, into who has riled the common people so? I am yet the jarl, and not to be besieged in mine own hall."

    "My jarl, she stands before you, shackled, accused of crimes by… respected men of your court, so I am told. I watched her defeat a Dragon, her blows cutting through its armor as if it were merely paper, mere wishes. I saw the beast's corpse consumed with flame, the power flow into her breast. This Khajiit--"

    "Do'azda," Moric supplies, looking quite pale himself, looking down at her with an impossible to read look.

    "This Do'azda is the Dragonborn."

    "Ridiculous," A middle aged nord pushes to the front of the crowd, his hair grey as iron, his face nearly familiar to Do'azda, a half memory, "What next, Balgruuf? Shall Farengar emerge from his studies and name this cat a Septim? The dragonborn must be a nord, and if its anyone, it is Ulfric-"

    "Speak for that traitor again, Grey-mane," Another man follows him, younger, in armour styled as though to mimic that of the imperial garrison, one hand on the hilt of a sword. "And I shall cut you down where you stand."

    "I might be your elder, Idolof, but I served alongside Kodlak Whitemane in the days of Askar Bright-Eyed. Bare your steel, boy, and I shall send you to Shor's Hall afore you spill a drop of my blood, and damn the consequences!" The Grey-mane replies hotly.

    "Oh, in Talos's name, couldn't you keep it under wraps until the trial was done?" A nord woman complains.

    "I told Victira this would be worth staying for," The Breton witness says, her tone gleeful. "But she wanted to spend the day with her bride.

    Do'azda stands. The chains rattle as she does, but she pays them no mind. "This one would like to see the crowd."

    Some part of her notes that the sight of her might enflame the crowd, whilst another part wonders if the sight of her in chains might calm them. But such thoughts are quiet. She feels history settling upon her shoulders, thrumming in her ears.

    Curiously, for one so central to the furor, she is almost ignored. The Jarl has called Irileth and Proventus to his throne, Soreld is trying desperately to separate the Nords, and the guards are clustering around their commander, who stands uselessly to one side, occasionally glancing plaintively at the Jarl.

    Moric shrugs helplessly when she catches his eye. "Who am I to restrict the dragonborn?"

    She walks towards the door, and it is not until she pulls it open that the Jarl even notices that she's moving.

    She feels something building in her, like she's a bell and she's constantly ringing louder and louder until she cannot even think of anything else. The crowd before the steps is vast and screaming, and when they see her a few move as if they are about to throw something.

    The guards stare at her, not expecting her presence.

    The chains clank, and she takes a long, long, long breath.

    The crowd almost blurs together before her, a mass and a sea of humanity, their shouts drowned out by the sound in Do'azda's ears.

    They want to kill her; they don't know Do'azda, but this doesn't matter.

    She should be afraid, even if she is putting on a bold face.

    But her tail lashes, and she cannot be afraid.

    Fear slides off of her, finds no purchase.

    The crowd almost seems to pause, briefly intimidated, before they surge again, driving the guard back. Do'azda closes her eyes, feeling the word rising, burning in her throat.

    "FUS!" She Shouts. And there is no way other to put it. The world has put her in chains, but she does not want to be so contained. She flexes as she says it, her Shout directed down towards them, unheeding of all the lies heaped upon her: why is she bound, and why should she be bound? She is greater than this, and greater than the fools who have bound her.

    She asks the whole world to move, and it does. The chains on her arms and legs shatter in a single motion, and the Shout is heard across the whole packed crowd, it echoes and it sings and it has power beyond what she can even imagine.

    Because as she Shouts for the first time, fire appears, pale-red and pale-blue, and covers fire the entire top of the hill, and then spreads out to cover the whole city, fire dancing amid screams that stop when it becomes clear it does not burn. It merely illuminates. Reveals.

    Declares.

    And then this same fire appears on the nearest mountains, and then on mountains far in the distance. Each mountain glows with a hundred thousand fires at once, so bright it is almost impossible to look at.

    The fire spreads, the fire dances, it seems to have a life of its own. The Throat of the World itself flares, begins to sing along with her. (The Halls of High Hrothgar shake and roil as they have not since days immemorial.)

    She does not know it then, but the fire spreads and spreads, across all the mountains and hills until the very end of the world, and then beyond, to lands only rarely glimpsed by mortal eyes, to the hills of Ever-Hungry Hircine's hunting grounds and the twilit gardens of Azurah, the Mother of the Rose, the Mistress of the Dawn and Dusk, most favoured, last and loved daughter of Fadomai, bearing a simple message.

    The Dragonborn has Returned.


    If there's fire on the mountain
    And lightning and storm
    And a god speaks from the sky
    That means someone is hearing
    The outcry and the birth-cry
    Of new life at its term.
    It means once in a lifetime
    That justice can rise up
    And hope and history rhyme.

    END OF BOOK 1: THE SHAMAN OF LITTLE ELSWEYR​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • ​
    Article:
    When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world

    When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped

    When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles

    When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls

    When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding

    The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn.    ​
    Source: THE PROPHECY OF THE DRAGONBORN



    HAIL SHEZZARINE
    HAIL DOVAHKIIN
    HAIL DRAGON KIN
    HAIL DOOM DRIVEN HERO
    HAIL DAUGHTER OF AZURAH    ​
     
    mcclay said:
    HAIL SHEZZARINE
    HAIL DOVAHKIIN
    HAIL DRAGON KIN
    HAIL DOOM DRIVEN HERO
    HAIL DAUGHTER OF AZURAH
    Click to expand...
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    WE WELCOME YOUR VOICE
    WE CALL TO YOU WITH OURS
    COME TO US DRAGONBORN
    LET US SPEAK UNHINDERED
    LET OUR VOICES RISE AS ONE
    LEARN OF OUR WORDS
    LEARN OF OUR VOICE
    COME DRAGONBORN
    WE AWAIT AT THE WORLD'S THROAT​
     
    I always was curious about how the world of Skyrim would react to a non Nord Dragonborn. I'm really looking forward to the fallout from this!
     
    With a declaration echoed by the world itself, none will be able to deny the truth of Do'azda's nature. She is the Last Dragonborn, destiny made flesh.
     
    Jarl Balgruff may have made a bit of an oopsie exiling the Dragonborn from his hold, but I somehow doubt she's going to have much interest in ever setting foot in the city proper ever again. At best, once the term of exile is up and she's dealt with the dragons and the rest of the main plot, she'll go back to tending to Little Elseweyr.
     
    That was badass.
    I can't wait to do more of it.

    And I am so glad to see a quest that actually addresses the racism that seems to affect everyone except the dragonborn.
     
    Thanatosra said:
    I diagree cause she would need to make deals to make the people of little elsewhere lives better like the deal with the butcher and also she wants to make friends with others like argonians and dunmer who live in the city
    Click to expand...
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    Fair enough, I just have zero interest in helping the Jarl or any of his nobles in this place. The rest of Skyrim? Sure whatever so long as it doesn't dick over the lower classes, this lot? Fuck 'em.
     
    Aranfan said:
    Fair enough, I just have zero interest in helping the Jarl or any of his nobles in this place. The rest of Skyrim? Sure whatever so long as it doesn't dick over the lower classes, this lot? Fuck 'em.
    Click to expand...
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    I agree with you, but the nobles are terrible all over Skyrim. And some of the Jarls are even worse.
    All of them be damned, we're here for to help the ones who really need it.
     
    It's telling that Balgruuf is the only Jarl with the power of command and foresight to try and keep Whiterun out of the war, even standing betwixt Greymane and Battleborn. The rest are almost all puppets of the great clans or vainglorious morons, or both.
     
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