An Aside III
Entry posted by EnragedBard in Offtopic
849 views
I don't consider 'Snacks' a full aside, just some stats dumping. Once again, I figured I'd take a moment and talk. Now that I've been caught up with myself for a little while, I can really make more decisions about where I want the story to go.
If you've been keeping up, the plot summary won't benefit you. If you still want to check it out and read 'An Aside,' skip to Entry 22.
Plot Summary
Entry 1-6
I am Destana, originally from Hammerfell. I was a sailor, originally coming to Skyrim on a ship that is now is out of business at the age of 19, in 4E 201. I came to Riften for the purpose of joining the Thieves Guild. I was sent on a host of jobs to the other side of Skyrim to get me out of the way. I participated in a drinking contest with Sam Guivenne (Sanguine) and I woke up across Skyrim. When I got to Solitude, I was put in prison on BS pretenses and beaten and manhandled by the unnamed Jailer and atleast a dozen men and women in Solitude for about two weeks. Then I was sold into slavery, where the slaver took me into dungeons. She protected and helped me until she was killed and then I got raped again by bandits. This time, though, I escaped and made my way back to Solitude and robbed the place. I returned to the Thieves Guild and turned in all my loot, having gained a lot of skills and hardened by my experiences.
Entry 7&8
I continued to make a name for myself, doing many jobs for the Thieves' Guild. I also killed Grelod the Kind for Aventus. I met Sanguine again and spent a few wild nights in his Oblivion realm, agreeing to be his Aspirant. This is when I started to fall in love with the Daedric Prince.
Entry 9
Found out I was pregnant with my first child and started nesting. I joined the college of winterhold and attended a few classes. I was snatched by the Dark Brotherhood for killing Grelod the Kind.
Entry 10&11
I mad-dashed to Thanehood in Riften during the weekend between classes at the College. I attend classes, do a bunch of dungeons and get betrayed by Mercer Frey from the Thieves' Guild.
Entry 12
Did a whole entry on Markarth as I searched for how to translate Mercer's journal (and prove him guilty) and delved the ruins for several other reasons.
Entry 13-15 (1 Year in Skyrim Mark)
I finally join the Stormcloaks and recruit several followers, taking a backseat to them (to take myself out of danger). Throughout the course of my pregnancy (and a little after) I pursue the campaign against Imperial occupation. At the end of this Entry, I've been in Skyrim about a year. Over the course of the year, I make the Thieves' Guild great and they offer to make me guildmaster. Damien Guevenne is born. He's dark with my eyes, but he turns light like a Nord, with blond hair. During this period, I kill my first dragon, I talk to the Greybeards and tell them off for trying to saddle me with 'destiny.' Sanguine and I also spend more time together, and I convince him to marry me and come live on Nirn for a while.
Entry 16
A whole entry where I go back to Solitude and solve all their problems, buy Windstad Manor, and build it. My second child is born, father is Ulfric (from the campaign). His name is Fenrir Stormcloak. I officially move out of Riften and adopt Runa Fair-Shield, who at this time was 8.
Entry 17 (9 Years in Skyrim Mark)
This is a much larger time skip. It's 4E 210, I'm 28 and I've been in Skyrim for 9 years now. Over the period, I take a much needed vacation, doing oddjobs throughout the province but nothing major (except very basically the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller). Big things to take away is Runa, Damien and Fenrir grow up. Runa goes on adventures with me. Even though she's only 15, she has quite a lot of skill with Greatswords (and good equipment, from me). During the entry itself, I find the unnamed Jailer and get my revenge. And because I performed the Black Sacrament to get him killed (because of my years of no success) and Runa finishes him off, Astrid abducts her.
Entry 18
Runa is made Listener of the Dark Brotherhood and we do jobs for them. Damien goes to college. Fenrir goes for an extended visit to Ulfric, who is teaching him to be a 'true warrior.' Sanguine leaves for some kind of war in Oblivion. The DB is contacted to kill Emperor Titus Mede II. We go through a lot to prepare for it.
Entry 19&20
Awaiting the Emperor's arrival, Runa goes on a side quest to train her skills. I go to Helgen and meet some new friends. I help Helgen be reborn. I become a vampire from the fight cave.
Entry 21
I talk to the Dawnguard about vampirism (ultimately unhelpful). I kill the Gourmet, but I send Runa to infiltrate (since I'm obviously a vampire). We get tricked and the DB sanctuary is torched, but we're able to save about half the brotherhood. We kill Astrid (who betrayed us), then kill the Emperor for real.
Entry 22+23
I finally met Serana and got involved in a whirlwind romance in which we traveled to a dead world, fought a dragon and I met her mother. I realize we need both Elder Scrolls to fix the vampire problem, so I also finally started doing jobs for the Blades and rescue Esburn from Riften.
Entry 24
I call up the old Stormblade Company from the Civil War and we find our way to Alduin's Wall to figure out how to beat the World Eater. I realize this is the perfect place to finally call the Moot.
Entry 25
I call Skyrim's Moot and make an outrageous list of demands in return for saving Skyrim from vampires and dragons including but not limited to: make Ulfric King, make me his Queen, form a pact with the Forsworn (which I will initiate) make the Gray Quarter nice again, the list goes on.
Entry 26
I go on a side adventure and end up fighting a giant dwemer golem with the Nerevarine!
Entry 27
This is the first time I let Runa be the focal point, leading the Dark Brotherhood even without my help. She is embroiled in a war with the Morag Tong and is recruiting.
Entry 28-30
In these three, I go into the past to learn Dragonrend, fight Harkon and hand Serana the leadership of the Volkihar on a silver platter, then I venture to Sovngarde and fight Alduin. After a few days of celebration, I come back and learn five months have passed in Skyrim, five years in the rest of Nirn, and time is generally broken. Worlds nearby ours are beginning to slip through, allowing strange monsters. On the bright side though, while I was gone, Volkihar has been vastly improved, Riften has a new district, and now I'm back in Skyrim!
Entry 31 (5 Month Skip for Skyrim, 5 Year Skip for Nirn, 10 Year Skip for Damien and Fenrir)
I take a tour of some of the changes and find out the damage. At the end Damien, Fenrir and Runa show up and I find out Runa's been outside Skyrim so is 5 years older, and the boys have been in Oblivion working with Sanguine and have aged 10 years!
Entry 32, 35, 36
For my tour of the holds to inform them of my defeat of Alduin and find out what's changed, I check out Jorrvaskr in Whitreun and join the Companions on behalf of Ysgramor, who I met in Sovngarde. I become part of the Circle, become a werewolf, Kodlak dies and I cure the Circle, then become Harbinger. I eventually abolish the blood rule to be a part of the Circle.
Entry 33-34
Runa tells the story of her leading the Dark Brotherhood before she left for Cyrodiil. She defeated the Crimson Scars and Morag Tong and now had four sanctuaries full of assassins that are ready to operate throughout Tamriel. But she gets trapped outside Skyrim and there's a time barrier.
Entry 37-39
I make good on my promise to bring the Forsworn into the fold. I do some missions for them, become a Shaman and get into some less than savory situations.
Entry 40
I get myself into Cidhna Mine and befriend Madanach, King of the Forsworn. Then we bust out, and through the use of Calm spells I ensure nobody is harmed during the breakout.
Entry 41
I get married to Ulfric Stormcloak and we become King and Queen of Skyrim. In a twist, Serana is also there, and I am also married to her. This is one of the first multi-marriages the priest has ever performed.
Entry 42-44
These episodes would be a training montage in a movie. Serana, the kids and I go on various adventures to rescue people, get stronger through dungeoncrawling and fight various Thalmor insurgent groups. The Thalmor are planning to invade in mere days, and we're getting ready.
Entry 45
This is the first time I split perspective between several people in the same entry. This is the day before the Second Great War starting and Runa, Damien, Fenrir and myself are all running around quelling various problems. We find yet another Thalmor stronghold and fight our way through. Damien stops a man from undermining a hold's authority. Fenrir fights an hours long duel and helps a family escape before the war begins. Runa roots out and kills a spy in the ranks. I track down looters of some supply chain issues, and bring another small tribe of Forsworn into our war effort.
Entry 46
The time barrier comes down, and we fight battles for Riften and Falkreath, splitting the most powerful characters between them (and getting the Thieves' Guild to help with Riften). The fragmented Imperial troops join our cause. Unfortunately, we lose both due to the Thalmor's vast numbers and level of preparation. Vex is killed in Riften. I am taken prisoner and while waiting for the head inquisitor to get there, I keep pulling tricks out of my sleeves and killing guards. Both Jarls are publicly executed and Thalmor take their place.
Entry 47
Multiple perspectives again. Serana is pissed I got captured and flies off, looking for me. Runa does what she does best (along with the other DB members, behind the scenes) and assassinates a bunch of Thalmor targets. Fenrir helps the Synod and Imperial battlemages retrieve some artifacts before they fall into Thalmor hands and is 'justly rewarded.' Serana carves a path of blood through all the Thalmor prisons to find at the last one, I have been moved but I was there. Damien goes off on his own (not appearing in this entry). I am tortured and bloodlet and am told why.
And that brings us to the present.
Future
Here's what I'm thinking about. So the Thalmor are going to get into some pretty bad shit. Essentially, they want Skyrim to exploit it's natural resources, it's people, and Destana. It's a side project, but if they can secure Skyrim, they can then go south and take Cyrodiil for real, turn west and take Hammerfell and High Rock and then they own Tamriel.
In order to find Destana, this is going to require some costly or inventive shit. I'm going to work towards the best payoff possible.
My immediate thoughts are that Destana is going to be stricken with vengeance and she's going to want to do something drastic, if and when the Thalmor are flushed out of Skyrim.
To be honest, I feel like I'm going to keep playing this until my save game permanently breaks (and maybe beyond) or I've done every notable quest mod on the Nexus and LoversLab. I am considering getting Legacy of the Dragonborn on top of everything else I have on my still sizeable list of mods.
The pictures below are:
"The Family"
(First row, Left to right): Destana upon arrival, Destana in prison, Destana during Civil War, Destana Vampire, Destana Vampire 2.0, Destana in prison recent, Fenrir as child, Fenrir as Stormcloak, Fenrir present (Dwemer Armor), Ulfric recent.
(Second row, left to right): Runa as child, Runa as tween, Runa as 15, Runa in Bruma, Runa as 19, Serana (who never changes), Damien as a child, Damien when he joined the college, Damien recent, Sanguine true form.
On a Personal Note
This has been a lot of fun, and I imagine it will continue to be. Your comments on my work have really revitalized my want to actually write, which for a large part of my life was my passion (and I feel like, it is again). I would be remiss if I didn't highlight to you that I do have two novels and a third planned that I haven't worked on for almost a year. Between my last job being all-consuming and moving, I didn't have much time or motivation to do it anymore.
So I'm going to link you to my books. And you can see who I really am, for better or worse. If that's an issue, that's okay. And really, if anybody here enjoys my writing enough to read them, they're in the same style, more polished, but less practiced (first was 2012 and second was 2017ish). If you want them, then I will freely give just for the enjoyment it brings me to have people to discuss them with.
I also have a (fairly bare) Patreon that I can't seem to change the landing page for. Ha!
(I'll edit it in, Patreon doesn't like me)
Either way, like me or not, there's more to come.
Edited by EnragedBard
13 Comments
Recommended Comments