The following morning, Edippa helped Monilee thoroughly wash up. The dirt of the road had infiltrated deep, and with all her little cuts and bruises a gentle, second pair of hands made all the difference in the world. As they washed, Edippa offered to help Monilee change her hair.

"A pretty woman like you should always try new things, after all."

"Why thank you, mother," Monilee said cheerfully, "why don't you show me what you're thinking of."

The two tried a few different styles before settling on a simple ponytail.

"Functional and easy to manage, but still looks good. Oh, and your ears... I didn't realize you were mer!"

Monilee shook her head, "I'm not, not for many generations. But there's a deep buried current of elven blood in my family, and for whatever reason it runs close to the surface in me."

Edippa nodded slowly, "Perhaps it is invigorated by your dragon blood. Fascinating."

"You know, daughter," she added at length, "now that circumstances force you to expose your body so often, you should decorate yourself. I know a thing or two about body paint. Would you like me to help you?"

Monilee thought of that. She'd never used body paint before, but then again she'd never found herself spending a large part of the day naked in public, either. Why not? What could go wrong?

"You know, mother, that's a wonderful idea."

Edippa curled her lips into a smile of pure joy. "Okay! Dry off while I go to the general store across the way. I'll be back in before you know it!"

It took an hour or so to finished, but when she was done Edippa looked exceedingly proud of herself.

"Oh yes, I knew blue was your color. Here, look in the mirror, tell me what you think."

Monilee almost felt like she was looking at a different person. Edippa really had a special talent for this. 

"Thank you, mother. It's beautiful."

"Indeed, I think this is best work I've ever done. As if Dibella guided my hand. You practically don't need to wear clothes anymore." 

Monilee laughed, "You know, in another life I'd be upset, but I feel like half the time I don't have a choice anyway now." 

"Well that's just it my dear daughter, you just need to make the best of what life gives you."

Belatedly, they joined the rest of the group for a breakfast of bread and baked potatoes, washed down with some very fine mead. Honingbrew, she learned, brewed near Whiterun. Monilee made a mental note to visit the brewery next time she was in the area - maybe they'd have a special discount for the Thane. 

Dawn in Markarth was truly a sight to behold. Monilee had to stop and just appreciate its beauty for a good five or ten minutes before she could continue on her way. It was clear to her why the cult of Dibella had chosen this of all places to build their temple - the place itself was a reflection of Dibella's love. 

Test Report

Short one here. This was meant to be a longer session including a visit to the Temple of Dibella, but it morphed into a fairly deep dive into trying to isolate the issues with Cassia's "play time" event that some players have been reporting. Analysis is ongoing, but we've managed to eliminate a number of suspected causes.