"What happened?" Lydia asked, "you vanished... and now you're back."

 

"It was Nocturnal, she summoned me to her... to somewhere else. Wait," she paused for a second, "how long was I gone?"

 

Edippa chimed in, "Just a few minutes. We were getting ready to start searching for you when you returned."

 

"Hmm," Monilee said, "it felt like I was gone for... a day, maybe more."

 

Shayna considered that, "You may have been in the Evergloam. Sometimes time, especially for mortals, passes differently there. You're fortunate to have returned in one piece."

 

"In one piece and more," Monilee confirmed, "It was a dangerous place, but I've gained new power from the experience. However..."

 

"However? Did you learn something else?" Lucien asked cheerfully.

 

"Yes, maybe. When I returned to you all I heard a whisper... the voice of Dibella. Now is the time for us to return to her temple, where she will grant me more power yet." 

 

"Of course," said Edippa, "Dibella will surely aid you against Nocturnal."

 

"But be cautious," Shayna added, "In a tug of war between daedra and divine, mortals are like to be broken." 

 

From there, they traveled mostly in silence until the party approached the edge of Falkreath. Lydia was the first one to notice the trouble ahead.

 

"Hold up," she said quietly, pointing to a green glow in the distance, "Spriggans."

 

 

"Yes," said Edippa, "you're right. But so many... and so close to the road. We should ready ourselves for a fight, or find a different way."

 

Monilee shook her head, "We've already lost the daylight. We need to get behind the city walls. If they block our path, we'll have to fight."

 

They crept forward, sticking to the shadows between the light posts. Carefully drawing her bow, Monilee struck first at the largest of the spriggans - and then struck again and again as her arrows failed to fell the monster. While she distracted it, her companions fell on the smaller ones with swords and magic fire. They resisted with strength, but all fell in the end. Then Monilee noticed something odd about the leader, the strong one she had struggled to fell. Dragging the corpse into the light she saw... that it was no spriggan, but instead a man.

 

 

"The Forest Guardian," Edippa whispered, "could this be him?"

 

Monilee was confused, "I don't know who this is you speak of."

 

"Oh," she conceded, "of course not, you're still a newcomer here. The Guardian is a powerful being - some say immortal, though evidently they were in error - who maintains the balance between man and nature here in Falkreath hold. That he has emerged from the forest with hostile intent means something is seriously wrong here."

 

"Like before, with Hevnoraak?"

 

"Exactly. The balance of this land is being broken, and it would behoove us to try and find some clue as to why." 

 

An examination of the crossroads where the spriggans had congregated revealed that the party had not been the first to fall afoul of them - corpses littered the ground; travelers and Falkreath Hold guards alike. After a brief consultation with Lydia, Monilee concluded that they had little choice but to stay the night in Falkreath, so they could report on this matter to the Jarl come morning. 

 

 

"Thane Monilee of Whiterun," Jarl Siddgeir languidly welcomed her the following morning, "good to see you at last."

 

Far from the seasoned and grave Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun, Siddgeir was still a young man, and seemingly disinterested with his position. Restlessly he lounged on his throne in a mostly empty hall. 

 

 

"My Jarl," Monilee responded, "I am glad to present myself. I come today to speak of the Forest Guardian."

 

This seemed to gain Siddgeir's attention. "The Guardian? I have heard troubling stories - merchants ambushed along the way, bodies found hanging from trees at the crossroads, spriggans and bears attacking the outlying farms. Just yesterday I dispatched a force of guards to secure the southern road. What do you know of the Forest Guardian?"

 

"I'm sorry to report that your guards are dead. We arrived too late to save them - they fell in battle at the crossroads near Pinewatch."

 

Siddgeir shook his head sadly, "They were good men and women, Monilee. You know I had no choice but to send them, don't you?"

 

Was that the price of his inexperience weighing on his shoulders? Perhaps. But Monilee sensed something else at work.

 

"Of course, my Jarl. These are perilous times, rife with risk for even the strongest warrior."

 

"You said you arrived too late, but did you find a trace of the Guardian? A hint of where he makes his lair? I would be avenged on him for the death of my guards."

 

"Better, my Jarl," Monilee presented the unusual bow she had taken from the dead hands of the Guardian, "while we came too late to save your guards, we found the Forest Guardian still laying in wait, and we overcame him after a hard-fought battle. For the time being at least, your roads are safe again."

 

The young man sighed. "Thank Arkay," he whispered, seemingly sitting a little easier on his throne. 

 

After a pause he continued, "How can I reward you? Surely you received my letter, yes? Would you take me up on that offer?"

 

Monilee realized she hadn't given it much thought. After the briefest pause she answered. "My Jarl, you did me a great honor with your offer. But for now I ask you patience - my Dragonborn blood calls to me and until this quest is completed I cannot pledge my sword to any lord."

 

He frowned, and maybe even a momentary flash of anger crossed his face, but Siddgeir accepted the answer. "I understand, Dragonborn. When you are more free, come back to Falkreath. Rich rewards await you. Until then, go with my thanks, and know that you will always have a safe place to rest within my hold."

 

The party made their excuses then and withdrew from the hall. After some discussion they decided not to take the roads by foot; it was a familiar path, yes, but Monilee wanted to waste no time in reaching the temple in Markarth. So after some negotiation they hired a carriage to speed their way to the City of Stone. 

 

The day's light was fading when Monilee finally reached the gates of the temple. A few pilgrims milled their way past the shrines as they made offerings, but most of the priestesses were still absent. After a brief greeting, Senna confirmed as much: they remained in seclusion, hard at work on a sacred task. However, she added, Sister Elizabella had been set to await Monilee's return with important tidings.

 

 

Approaching the woman, Monilee explained her recent trip to the Evergloam and the whisper that had greeted her on her return. 

 

"Yes," Elizabella confirmed, "Mother Hamal instructed me to wait for you. There is important work for you in the service of Dibella, and many questions to answer."

 

 

After all the dangers of her recent adventures, tracking down a thief practically sounded like a vacation. With little further thought, she accepted the mission. 

 

"Alright, where is this thief you're seeking?" 

 

"Well," Elizabella said, "that's a little tricky, because the thief has been moving around. Unfortunately for them, we have a way to track the stolen statue. Here," she handed Monilee a scroll and compass, "this map will show you where the thief is currently resting. Unroll it, I'll show you."

 

Monilee did so, studying the map. True enough, the compass flicked to life, pointing not to true north but to a spot on the map.

 

"Alright," Elizabella continued, "now move the compass so you can triangulate your position."

 

"Yess..." Monilee whispered, "I see now. That island, where the white river meets the sea."

 

 

Shayna blew a rasperry, "Well, I guess you won't need my fine sense of direction anymore."

 

"Nonsense," Monilee answered with a smirk, "I can't spend all my days with my head buried in a map. Without your help I'd be lost in  minutes."

 

Elizabella added, "And lest you get too complacent, there are limits on power of the compass. If the thief flees to Solstheim or beyond, you'll have to do some detective work to find where they've gone. Though once you get close enough, it'll begin to work again."

 

"Now rest yourself," she concluded, "and prepare for a long journey. You'll want to travel first to Windhelm, and I recommend taking a carriage lest the thief be gone before you arrive. Best to leave at first light."

 

Edippa nodded solemnly, "Yes. But why would a thief want one of the statues?"

 

Elizabella shrugged, "The statues are precious in their own right, and this might be a case of simple greed, but Mother Hamal fears all these strange events are connected. The passing of the last Sybil, the rousing of the Dragon Priests, and even the coming of the Dragonborn-"

 

Before she could continue, Edippa interrupted, "Wait, the Sybil has died?"

 

Elizabella glanced left and right before speaking, "I'm sorry, I've revealed something I shouldn't have. Please, I beg you, keep this secret close. But yes, the temple is without a Sybil. The sisters pray day and night for a sign, but thus far... nothing."

 

Edippa nodded before she turned to the others. "Daughters, please heed Elizabella's words. There could be serious consequences if this news reaches the wrong ears. Trust in Dibella and keep her secret for now."

 

They all agreed to Elizabella's request, and retreated to the Silver Blood Inn for rest and refreshment. Later, over a dinner of honeyed mushrooms, Monilee noticed that Lydia again seemed troubled. After the others had left for their rooms, she questioned Lydia in more depth about her concerns.

 

"My Thane," she began hesitantly, "I know you have made some decisions that I don't agree with. That... I feel uncomfortable with. But I am at peace with the fact that I am sworn to your service. However..."

 

 

"...but also the Dragonborn, the hero of our age. I have to try and correct your behavior, to teach you some humility and virtues... as befits a hero"

 

Monilee wasn't sure she liked the way this conversation was going. Something about it reminded her of... "Lydia, have you be talking to Shayna again? Or rather, has she been spreading rumors?"

 

"Yes, and yes, but that's irrelevant. Jarl Balgruuf foresaw that this might be a problem, and he authorized me to take... steps... to protect your reputation."

 

As the sweet mushrooms lay heavy in her belly and sapped her remaining wakefulness, Monilee couldn't muster the energy to argue. "Fine, what do you need to do to protect my reputation?"

 

 

If Monilee was expecting a lecture or a spanking or something, she was surprised instead to find a loaf of plain bread shoved before her.

 

"My Thane, first let us start with your gluttony. From now on, eat this alone, especially when you are dining in public. And restrict yourself to water only - no mead or wine. You must project sober judgment and temperance at all times."

 

"Ah... thank you, Lydia. That's not exactly what I expected."

 

Lydia smiled indulgently, "We should start with the easiest problem to fix, shouldn't we?"

 

"Uh, sure. But perhaps we should have had this talk before dinner if you were so concerned."

 

The housecarl shrugged, "Better late than never. Now, to bed."

 

The following morning, the party left the city to find it gloomy and rainy. Whatever hesitancy they'd had before about hiring a carriage vanished when the waggoneer erected a oilskin cover above the benches. Just as well, as it turned out, as the weather just went from bad to worse as they mad the journey east. 

 

 

The wagon arrived at the Windhelm gates as the afternoon sun was starting to fade, amidst snow flurries and bitter cold. Monilee considered stopping in the ancient city to warm herself and restock their provisions, but Elizabella's warning hung in her mind. So they pressed on through the night, briefly camping amidst some ruins sheltered from the wind before pressing on at first light. The compass did not lead them astray, and as they reached the top of a rolling hill, Monilee was certain she had found their quarry. 

 

"Look," she said, pointing, "that shipwreck. That's where the thief is hiding."

 

 

Cautiously, the party drew the weapons and crept closer to the derelict. Taking care to avoid an irate looking family of horkers, Monilee surveyed the wreck from a sandy spit of land. She didn't dare try to swim the icy waters, but thick ice offered a possible route to the ship. Of course, if this was the only route to it, taking this approach meant a surprise attack was unlikely. Armed with this knowledge, the party checked their armor and prepared for a fight.

 

 

Ultimately, the fight never came - evidently the bandits had little stomach for a real battle, and they scattered like rats at the first sign of the party's approach. Free to search the ship, Monilee and her companions didn't waste their time in examining its contents, lest the bandits return with reinforcements. The main deck of the ship and the exposed inner parts were empty of anything interesting, only containing the bandits' improvised camp and some meager provisions. But an inner wardroom remained, and Monilee suspected its contents were what she sought. 

 

Kicking in the door, the party rushed inside, catching a napping bandit in finer gear by surprise. Monilee looked at the bandit with contempt, and whispered...

 

"Luv..."

 

The bandit leader, who had just been drawing her sword, paused for a moment, stunned. Monilee pulled her to a nearby chair and proceeded to beat her vigorously, all while the villain groaned with pleasure. 

 

 

If Monilee had hoped that her momentary clouding of the bandit's mind was enough to quel her, however, she'd been mistaken. After a lengthy spanking, the bandit woman drew away and, graspering her mace firmly, send Monilee reeling to the ground. While Monilee tried to recover, Edippa and Shayna cut down the bandit, and Monilee quickly regained her strength and took to her feet again. Searching through the woman's belongings, she quickly found what she was looking for: a gold statue of Dibella.

 

 

Emerging from the cabin, Monilee found that the other bandits had returned, albeit to the far side of the ship. Both sides watched the other warily before Lydia spoke.

 

"Well, is it a fight you want?"

 

One of the surviving bandits, a woman, spoke in return, "I'd ask the same of you. If you're content to leave us be, we'll do the same for you."

 

Lydia looked to Monilee for guidance. She considered things for a moment before answering. "Our quarrel was with the one who stole this statue," she explained, showing the golden idol. "If you won't stand in the way of us leaving, then there's no more need for bloodshed."

 

The woman sat down, shaking her head. "I told the boss that job was a bad idea. I wish she'd listened to me. Fine, just leave us in peace. We have no quarrel with the house of Dibella." 

 

 

But it wasn't meant to be. As they prepared to debark, another voice, this one male, boomed out, "That's close enough!"

 

Monilee turned just in time to see the bandit shove Edippa back before reaching for his bow. Monilee whispered her word of love again, hoping that it might stave off more bloodshed. This time, it seemed to work. Lowering his bow, the bandit wandered back towards his comrades, seemingly dazed. Perhaps, Monilee mused, this power worked best on the weak-minded. In any event, she understood that she had much to learn about her newfound ability. 

 

Thus they departed in peace, working their way back through the bitter cold towards Windhelm. As they walked, Monilee considered her actions on the derelict. She'd told herself so many times that Skyrim wasn't a place for pity, so why had she spared the bandits? Surely they weren't innocent, and she would have been doing a favor to the people of Eastmarch if she'd put them to the sword. And yet... killing them seemed pointless. The very necessity of destroying them felt like just another way this land dominates its inhabitants, makes them turn their hands against one another. Perhaps, she conceded, there are better ways to power than at the point of a sword. 

 

Later, as she warmed her hands, strange and oddly vivid visions filled her mind. She saw a field of swords laid out before her, and she rubbed her body against them unharmed, then squatted and let the pommel of the nearest one penetrate her body. The daydream felt incredibly real, and she quivered with each imagined stroke.

 

 

"Daughter, what do you see?" It was Edippa's voice.

 

"Swords," Monilee sighed, "swords as far as I can see. All useless, cast into the ground. I touch them, but I am not cut. I make love to them, and I am not torn."

 

"Dibella is giving you a message, daughter. In the end, even the finest sword is useless, just a piece of metal. But love... love will always conquer."

 

"Yes.... yes..." Monilee sighed as the pommel spike tickled her most sensitive inner regions. She felt the snow squish between her toes as the curled with pleasure."

 

Then the moment passed.

 

"Daughter, are you alright?" Edippa asked.

 

"Yes, mother," she answered, "it's as you said. Love... conquered."

 

Edippa looked confused, "I... didn't say that. You've been standing there for half an hour, staring in to the flames. I just asked you if you were alright."

 

Monilee shook herself, refocusing on Edippa.

 

"I'm sorry I worried you. I... think I had a vision. But I'm not completely sure I understand it yet."

 

Monilee spent the return trip to Markarth in contemplation, trying to make sense of her dreams and visions. By the time they reached the City of Stone, everyone was exhausted and they fell onto the heated slabs of the Silver Blood Inn with intense relief. That night, she dreamt that her and Lydia were pleasuring Lucien, their bodies coming together in an intense, passionate embrace. When she awoke, heated beyond just the warm stone that she rested on, she wondered if she had been right to not pursue Lydia further when she'd turned down Monilee's original flirtations. Perhaps, she thought, she would need to revisit that conversation in the future.

 

 

At last, they returned to the Temple of Dibella. Monilee presented the golden statue carefully to Elizabella, who accepted it reverently. Once the statue was secured, she returned to Monilee with a smile.

 

 

"How did you know I spanked the thief?" Monilee asked.

 

Elizabella chuckled. "Call it intuition. But really, let's talk about the voice you heard. As you already surmised, the voice was Dibella. She has also spoken to me, and dictated a letter for you. Additionally, you are to have this ancient manuscript for your studies."

 

Monilee opened the letter and read it carefully. Where the last letter had been written - and signed by - Mother Hamal, this letter bore only Dibella's name. 

 

 

The note answered many questions Monilee had possessed, such as the unexplained weakness of the shout against the leader of the Bandits. And it was entirely in keeping with her experiences with Nocturnal so far. 

 

"Thank you, Elizabella," Monilee said, "it seems I have some reading to do." 

 

Monilee found a comfortable place to sit and began to take in the manuscript. She could feel the power flooding into her as she absorbed its words, like the word wall in the Evergloam had only half turned the key in a lock. Now Monilee felt as if her power was fully unleashed... but before she could consider this further Dibella's voice once more entered her mind.

 

 

Test Results

Advanced through the first thief spanking mission

Random Cassia encounter - did the dance version; no problems

Successfully used the first level version of the love shout

Learned second level version of the love shout

 

Compatibility Note - Schlongs of Skyrim. The Virgin Nocturnal Robe is not flagged as revealing, so despite it being transparent it will make SOS pubic hair disappear when wearing it. Solutions:

 

• In game workaround: Manually set the outfit as revealing in the MCM (should only need to be repeated once per playthrough)
• Easy out of game fix/workaround: None
• Advanced out of game fix: Patch record xx11AD6C to add "SOS Revealing" keyword