Recent Entries
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Balgruuf the Lesser 14: Force-Balance-Push: The Way of Battle (or Schrodinger's Dovahkiin)
by Piper Jo“FUS, RO-DAH!!” I Shouted, and had the satisfaction of watching Arngeir’s projection stumble and fade into nothing. “Your Thu’um is powerful,” Arngeir said with satisfaction. “How did you come to an understanding of this Shout so quickly?” “Any warrior would understand it,” I replied. “It’s the Wa...comments -
BALGRUUF THE LESSER 13: No Closer to Honor
by Piper JoMy stomach churned as Farkas and I walked back up the steps to Jorvasskr. Knowing what walked beside me… it gave me chills and sweats at the same time. I’d seen what he was, down in that crypt… and then the monster that was Farkas apologized to me, like, like… like I was a child whom he’d startled... -
Balgruuf the Lesser 12: Tested
by Piper JoUthgird was understandably reluctant to follow me into Jorvasskr, but I was feeling reckless. The Companions had frightened me all my life, and I could not say why. Somehow, they just made me feel very small and helpless and unimportant. Yet, I had always dreamed of being one of them. It was Uth...comments -
ASSIGNMENT SKYRIM BORDERS: Forrest Pingham gets Told. 10th of Heartfire
by Piper Jo“What happened back there in Karthwasten, Ghorbash?” I was sitting next to the fire, staring into the flames, trying to puzzle it out, when I asked him this. He had laid out his bedroll and was already lying down, with his back to me and the flames. “Huh? What’s to tell? You gave her the sword. S...comments -
Balgruuf the Lesser, 11: The Search for Purpose
by Piper Jo13th of Heartfire 4E 201 I have not felt up to writing in a long time. The war is won, and Ulfric is king in all but name. Skyrim for the Nords has come to pass, and my father hates me for it. Ulfric has no further use for me. The question that hangs over me like a pall is this: Have I any furthe...comments -
Letter from Luciana Henriette to General Tullius Regarding Durz gro-Ushal
by Piper JoTo: General Tullius, Commander of Imperial Forces in Skyrim From: Luciana Henriette, Imperial Agent, Retired Re: Whereabouts of Commander Durz gro-Ushal General, It has come to my attention that certain inflammatory accusations have been made to you about me, such as that I married a deserter from...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: Like A Hero From a Swashbuckling Breton Romance -- 8th of Heartfire
by Piper JoTurns out it’s pretty difficult to buy rope in Markarth. If I were on the coast, I’m sure I could have found what I wanted, but here in the interior, I searched for a day and a half, and finally found myself at the stables, buying, of all things, leather braid. This isn’t the stuff we used in the ...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: Walking Dark Midnight, 6th of Heartfire
by Piper JoMorosely, I sat on my stone bed and cracked open a couple of the spell books I’d purchased from Calcelmo. Smoke curled from the pages as the letters burned themselves away, making me long for a cigarette. “Muffle” sounded like a good idea, and I understood it in principal, but I didn’t have the na... -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: Fear and Loathing in the City of Stone
by Piper JoMusic (for Bilal): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivjYuX4C7s&feature=related For best results, start this music playing around the fourth paragraph. Let me tell you what I imagined would happen in Markarth: I would find the famous scholar Calcelmo, and show him my collection of Dwemer artifa...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: Blood and Silver and a Stone Slab: 5th of Heartfire
by Piper JoTwilight tinged the world a peaceful blue when I rounded the edge of a rocky hill slope and caught my first view of Markarth. Dibella must have had a hand in its crafting. The ancient dwemer manipulated the living bones of the mountains to carve their city here, with its graceful columns and towe...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: The Ascent of Hag Rock, 5th of Heartfire
by Piper JoI might have known. The Hag Rock Benchmark, which marks the Triple Point of the borders between High Rock, Hammerfell and Skyrim, is located at the top of the Dead Crone Rock. According to Pub 43, this point is accessed via an ancient and abandoned network of tunnels and ruined towers built into t...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: The Orsimer of Dushnikh Yal Stronghold
by Piper JoSecuring the Forgemaster’s Fingers was not as straightforward as I had hoped. When Arob had marked my map, I had assumed she was marking a trading post. It turned out to be a fortress held by Reach natives. Why those skraelings and their hagravens should be stockpiling the stuff is a mystery to m...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: 3rd of Heartfire, The Forgemaster's Fingers
by Piper JoDushnikh Yal Stronghold (59o 47’N, 35o 10’W), is one of four legitimate orc strongholds in Skyrim. (My definition of legitimate has changed since I got to Skyrim. I now define any settlement that does not respond homicidally to all visitors as a legitimate settlement.) I have looked forward to vi...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: The Red Eagle Project, 2nd of Heartfire
by Piper JoI must explain the long gap in my journal. I allowed myself to get diverted from my mission, but it was for such a good cause! The native people of the Reach are closely related to my great grandmother’s people in High Rock. Therefore, I have always had an interest in their culture. That’s why, w...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: Significant Cultural Sites, Western Falkreath Hold
by Piper JoThe road from Falkreath to Elinhir in Hammerfell crosses the border at 58o 20’N 8o 10’W at an elevation of 6,290’. What with the current political situation, I was surprised to find this station unmanned. The Skyrim-Hammerfell border is marked by a rugged mountain range, and I do not have the nec...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: Halldir's Cairn
by Piper JoI have mentioned that my mission includes surveying military ruins and caves. On the road into the mountains south of Falkreath, I found my first cave. This is where my job lines up nicely with my interests. I’m an amateur spelunker (not to mention botanist, naturalist, military history buff and ...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders, Falkreath Cemetery, 24th of Last Seed
by Piper JoThe jailhouse guard is pleasant to me in the morning, so I take that to mean I didn’t randomly transform into a werewolf in my sleep. Alternatively, I did transform, and he didn’t notice. What with the local gendarmerie being entirely made up of crippled ex-adventurers, you have to wonder. Seriousl...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders, Sinding Affair, Part 2 -- 23rd of Last Seed
by Piper JoMUSIC: Humans are Predators Too by Carter Burwell. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TTibck2kEc&feature=related “Sinding, my friend, don’t freak,” I began. “But I’ve been told to kill you.” “And I would deserve it, wouldn’t I?” he replied. “I can’t stop you if that’s what you want to do; Hirci...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders: The Sinding Affair Part 1: 22nd of Last Seed
by Piper JoMy mission has been delayed for two days, as I sought to retain an assistant and secure the tools of my trade. Even after selling those weapons from Helgen, I did not have enough money. The perceptions of the locals did not help. “I used to be an adventurer like you,” a guard told me. “Then I took...comments -
Assignment Skyrim Borders—Day 1 17th of Last Seed 4E 201
by Piper JoMy name is Forrest Pingham, Second Lieutenant, Imperial Geodetic and Coast Survey. My assignment is to survey the borders of Skyrim with particular interest in caves, military ruins and shipwrecks. The list of things my commanders did not tell me about this assignment has grown as long as my arm, a...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Durz gro-Ushal
by Piper JoI can only think it was my fault, though I know Durz would say otherwise. I wanted to go to the College of Winterhold to find peace and comfort. How could anything go wrong in that strong stone castle full of academics with their comfortable beds and magical central heating system? Durz followed ...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Dark Sister! Chapter 8: Slaying the Darkness
by Piper JoFROM THE JOURNAL OF GHORBASH "THE IRON HAND" GRO-DUSHNIKH I’m not going to go into what I have to do to pick up Lucy’s trail and find Movarth’s lair. Suffice to say that I do, and once inside, I follow the trail of fresh kills until I find myself in a dark tunnel, approaching a well lit and richly ...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Dark Sister! Chapter 7: The Enemy that Lurks in the Night
by Piper JoI bash my attacker with my shield. She stumbles and I draw my axe to press my advantage, but Lucy shoulders me out of the way, and pours fire on the vampire woman. Before the woman gets her feet back under her, she lies toasted and smoking on the ground. “That was uncalled for!” I tell her. “I ha...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Dark Sister! Chapter 6: The Vampire Hunter Diaries
by Piper JoFROM THE JOURNALS OF GHORBASH "THE IRON HAND" GRO-DUSHNIKH “Did you notice that burned out house next door?” I ask Lucy as we settle into our room at the Moorside for the night. “Pretty hard to miss,” she replies in a tired voice. “I think it would be worth asking about.” She shrugs. “As good a pl...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Dark Sister Chapter 5: The Assault on the Sanctuary
by Piper JoFROM THE JOURNAL OF GHORBASH "THE IRON HAND" GRO-DUSHNIKH: An orc should always be clear and straightforward in all communications. Anything that can’t be settled by a friendly discussion can be settled in battle. Of course, that rule goes out the window if you were raised by humans to be a thief...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Dark Sister! Chapter 4: I’m So Screwed!
by Piper JoI searched Astrid’s body. I didn’t find any clues, but her spider-man armor was intriguing, and her dagger seemed to be enchanted, so I took them both. I also found some gold and the key to the shack. I cut the bonds on the prisoners, but left the sacks over their heads and fled. “I just killed a...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Dark Sister! Chapter 3: With Old Friends Like These...
by Piper JoDurz wanted to go straight to Whiterun to lay low in Breezeholme, but I insisted we divert to Windhelm first to talk to Aventus Aretino. I wanted him to know, so that he could close this chapter of his life, and so that he could go back to Honorhall if he wanted. And we couldn’t exactly send him a...comments -
Luciana Henriette; Dark Sister! Chapter 2: The Orphanage
by Piper JoI had never noticed Honorhall Orphanage before, despite my frequent visits to the city. It sat by itself at the south end of the boardwalk, and there was nothing on the outside to call attention to it. I hesitated with my hand on the door. I could have ended up in a place like this if my folks ha...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Dark Sister! Chapter 1: The Orphan
by Piper JoThe Gray Quarter in Windhelm is a dismal place, what with the poverty, the weather, and the miasma of hopelessness exuding from the people. On the other hand, it’s no worse than where I grew up. We had better weather, worse oppression. I’d take snow any day. Last time I had been in Windhelm, ther...comments -
Luciana Henriette: Dark Sister! -- Prologue
by Piper JoThe wind across the tundra was chill, but the campfire danced cheerfully in the rock fall, as I returned from gathering the dried mammoth patties that would keep it burning through the night. The smell of roasting venison was just beginning to change to burning meat as I reached the fire. “Ghorbash...comments -
Luciana Henriette and Durz groUshal: SAVE THE DATE!
by Piper JoWedding Album: Chief Burguz: "This ceremony is so different from an orc ceremony--a lot less blood!" NOTE: In our universe, they were married on February 14thcomments -
Lucy's Journal: Down on the Farm
by Piper Jo“Have I mentioned how glad I am you decided to travel with me?” I asked Durz, as we sat down at a corner table in the Four Shields Inn in Dragon Bridge. “Yes you have,” he replied with a grin. “Of course, I really had no choice after you STOLE from the tribe.” “They were just little things,” I obje...comments -
Backstory: Naya Feryon, Dunmer refugee
by Piper JoThis is my wife's new character. She wanted someone different from anyone I had played, and we came up with her backstory as her face emerged. I promised to tell her story, dark as it may be. Life is pain, and death was a gift stolen from me by a monster. My parents were stolen from me by slavers...comments -
Lucy's Journal: In the Land of My People
by Piper JoI know this trail. I’ve never been here and I am sure of that, yet this trail is familiar. I feel like I’ve walked this way before, and right up around the corner here is a… Yes—a wooden stockade. And there is a guard up there on the tower over the gate who will address me... now. “Greetings, Kin...comments -
Lucy's Journal: Dump out the Champagne; Cheap Whiskey for All My Friends!
by Piper JoIs it courage or cowardice to leave someone on the altar? On the one hand, I was so afraid of what I had to do that I might just have gone through with it. But I think I vote for cowardice, for if I was meant to be with her, I would have gone through with it, and if not, then I should have told her...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal #10: The Siege of Whiterun
by Piper JoUntil I saw it, I kept hoping it wouldn’t really happen, but by the time we arrived on the Plain, Galmar’s forces were raining hell down upon Whiterun. Catapults threw flaming tar balls down behind the city walls, and smoke rose from the Plains and Wind Districts. So far, Ulfric’s words were comin...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal #9: No Way Out
by Piper Jo“I never noticed before how much I hate this city,” I mused aloud, as Lydia and I walked through Windhelm to the Palace of the Kings. Every time I have been to Windhelm, it has been frigid, gray and windy. Snow falls constantly without ever seeming to cover up the dingy decay of the city. The p...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal #8: The Decision of Balgruuf the Greater
by Piper Jo“DOVAHKIIN!” “What the Oblivion was that?” I wasn’t the only one to jump when that word came crashing across the city like thunder. We all looked up, searching the skies for another dragon. We each looked at each other, glances passing from one to another in turn, though every eye eventually cam...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal #7: Balgruuf and the Dragon
by Piper JoI stopped in Whiterun long enough to visit Dame Gray-mane and the chapel of Kynareth and set out again the same day. I was nearly to the crossroads before I reached a decision: I could not bring myself to tell Ulfric what my father had said. I had to convince my father to declare himself squarel...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal #6: Kicking Thalmor Butt, or Always Carry Your Cure-All
by Piper JoI travelled by foot so I could cross the mountains, cutting over to the Morthal Road and taking it to Dragon Bridge. It was a route I had learned on hunting trips, and I knew it well and thought I was prepared to deal with the ice wolves in the pass. By the time I got to Dragon Bridge, however, ...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal: Warmaiden's Forge
by Piper JoI wanted to put miles between me and my father. I wanted to drown his words out of my mind with action. And I had to leave that same day to meet Avulstein at Northwatch Keep. First though, I had another large haul of Imperial swords and armor to sell off. I headed over to the Skyforge to sell th...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal #5: Ulfric's Ax
by Piper JoI walked heavily across the Great Hall, buying time before reaching my father to decide exactly what I was going to say. Frothar, the elder of my younger brothers, noticed me dragging my feet up the steps and ran to me. I reached out to clasp his hand, and he made as if to take it, but then jerked...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal #4: Unblooded
by Piper Jo“I fight for the families of those who have fought and died by my side. I fight so that all the fighting I have already done will not have been in vain!” Jarl Ulfric’s words echoed in my memory and enflamed my heart as I stood with my Stormcloak brothers-in-arms in the snow outside Korvanjund. Ul...comments -
Balgruuf the Lesser's Journal: Gray-mane or Battle-born?
by Piper JoThe door to the house of Clan Battle-born was locked when I got there. In this city, locking one’s door during the day is, by itself, practically an admission of guilt. The lock was minimal, however—little more than a do-not-disturb sign, so I squeezed the handle and forced the latch and let mys...comments -
Balgruuf's Journal #2: My Father, My City
by Piper JoMy feet dragged on the cobblestones as I walked up the road to the main gate of Whiterun. Already, I felt the fool, and I hadn’t yet seen my father. I had left Whiterun intending to join the freedom forces, but now I was returning without having officially fought in a single battle. Yet, I remi...comments -
Balgruuf the Lesser's Journal: Ralof, My Brother.
by Piper JoAs we emerged from the caves north of Helgen, Ralof suggested we split up, but meet at his sister’s house in Riverwood. “It’s easy,” Ralof insisted. “Keep going north and downhill on this road. The forks are marked.” “No!” I exclaimed before I could control myself. Embarrassed, I spoke more calmly...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY: Balgruuf the Lesser, Stormcloak
by Piper JoMy name is Balgruuf, Son of Balgruuf, jarl of Whiterun. The people call me Balgruuf the Lesser, a name I find unfair in the extreme, as I have only just reached manhood, and have yet to demonstrate whether I am more or less of a man than my father. I was raised to succeed my father to his throne, t...comments -
Lucy's Journal #22: The Big Questions. MAIN QUEST SPOILER ALERT!!!
by Piper JoMAIN QUEST SPOILER ALERT: DON'T READ THIS UNTIL YOU'VE FINISHED THE MAIN QUEST 19th of Frostfall, 4E 201 I took the Elder Scroll back to Paarthurnax and used it to look through the Time Wound and watch three ancient warriors face down Alduin. Question: What is Time? What is the difference between P...comments -
Lucy's Journal #21: Worst Dream of my Life
by Piper JoI just awoke from the worst dream of my life. I scribbled down as much as I could when I awoke, but even so, much of the details are gone. What remains is some of the strangest images ever to wander through my head. First, some recent history: I asked Septimus—the mad scholar—how to find the Elder...comments -
Lucy's Journal #20: Dovahkiin Goes to College
by Piper Jo9th of Frostfall, 4E 201. Ever since I started traveling, people have been telling me to check out the College of Winterhold to learn more about magic. I’ve never been particularly interested. I figured I could learn on my own from books, build on what Ma had showed me, practice on random monsters…...comments -
Lucy's Journal #19: Chat with the Dragon
by Piper JoI am overwhelmed. I just had a fascinating conversation with a dragon. The conversation was both practical and philosophical, and I’d have to say it was the first time I’ve ever been tempted to be interested in philosophy. Let me see what I can remember. First, Paathurnax taught me the dragon wor...comments -
Lucy's Journal #18: Burning for Lydia
by Piper JoLydia, Lydia, Lydia… She is brave and true, but just not the sharpest sword on the rack! I’m sure that anyone who has met her would agree with me. Esbern was leading the way as we wormed our way through the Karthspire looking for Sky Haven Temple, and we came to a room in which the entire floor...comments -
Lucy's Journal #17: Kynesgrove to Karthspire: What I find ironic
by Piper JoDelphine and I arrived in Kynesgrove just in time to watch a gigantic dragon flying overhead and apparently conducting some kind of ritual. It was the same dragon that attacked Helgen. I think it must have been Alduin himself. I shot at him, but he ignored me like I was throwing dirt. When he c...comments -
Lucy's Journal #16: I Didn't Mean to Turn You On
by Piper Jo30th of Heartfire, 4E 201 I’m on the road to Kynesgrove with Delphine, my mysterious “friend” that first told me about Lost Tongue Overlook. Turns out she’s the last living member of an order of knights that protects Dragonborns. So much is happening that I don’t think I’ll be able to write about ...comments -
Lucy's Journal #15: This is why Ma never messed with Conjuration
by Piper Jo29th of Heartfire, 4E 201 I haven’t written a journal entry in a long time, and a lot has happened, so I’m just going to write quickly and hit the low points. I was in Whiterun on the job Maven Black-brier had given me. I didn’t like the job, and I liked it even less after I met my Whiterun contac...comments -
Lucy's Journal #14: I spent some time drinking.
by Piper JoI spent some time drinking. I don’t know how long. Wine, mead, skooma… nothing would dull the pain. Drunk but still raging, I broke into the smith’s home one night and stole all his materials, then took it right out to the forge and pounded out my rage on steel, iron, and orichalcum. I don’t kn...comments -
Lucy's Journal #13: The Wreck of My Heart
by Piper JoSister, once you have picked up the packages, send them on to me at Broken Oar Grotto. The fool who did our work at the lighthouse should arrive shortly thereafter; make sure she is taken care of. It was signed with Swims’ alias. There has to be an explanation, was my first thought. I tried to r...comments -
Lucy's Journal #12: The Wreck of the Icerunner
by Piper JoMidnight, 12th of Heartfire I tip-toed carefully up the steps of the Solitude Lighthouse. I’d expected there to be a lock on the door—but there wasn’t even a door. I’d expected the first floor to be a residence with a light keeper past whom I’d have to sneak. There had been nothing on the first...comments -
Lucy's Journal #11: Finding Swims-in-Shadows
by Piper Jo12th of Heartfire, 4E201 As I write this, I’m sitting in the common room of the inn with a pint and meal in front of me. My feet are up, and my chair is tipped back on two legs. I’ve got a job tonight, working with my best friend. Life is finally looking up. First, the little thing: I killed my ...comments -
Lucy's Journal #10: The Riften Thieves Guild
by Piper Jo10th of Heartfire, 4E 201 It was surprisingly easy to contact the Thieves Guild in Riften. In Markarth, the Thieves Guild maintained a certain level of secrecy. If you asked the average merchant about the Thieves Guild, there was a fifty-fifty chance he'd say we were a myth. That’s what I expecte...comments -
Lucy's Journal #9: The Road to Riften
by Piper Jo8th of Hearthfire, 4E 201 Riften is all the way at the other end of the country, and I am still on the road, passing south of the Throat of the World. I can hardly contain my excitement. Even the mountain flowers along the roadside look brighter than they did on my last trip. Did you know there i...comments -
Lucy's Journal #8: Everyone Escapes from Cidhna Mine
by Piper JoFifth of Hearthfire, 4E 201 As the bars closed behind me, I shivered at the thought that I might spend the rest of my life mining silver in this dank hole. I pushed the thought back and stepped down the rickety scaffold to the floor of the mine. Prisoners stared morbidly into the flames of an open...comments -
Lucy's Journal 7: A Little Chat
by Piper JoBack at the smithy, I paid for a lesson from Ghorza graBagol and then bought materials from her to do some of my own work. I’m thinking of trying to do some dwarvish designs--Inspired by the City of Stone, I guess. But mostly, like I told Uncle Andre, I just wanted to think, and giving my hands ...comments -
Lucy's Journal #6: Home Sweet Home
by Piper Jo3rd of Hearthfire 4E 201, Markarth Markarth is my hometown. It’s not the name we called it when I was growing up, but apparently that’s what the rest of the country calls it, and I’m just an ignorant Warren rat for not recognizing it. You learn something new everyday! Even before I got there, I c... -
Lucy's Journal #5: The Thalmor Shall Pay!
by Piper JoTirdas, 1st of Heartfire, 4E 201 I can’t seem to get away from Whiterun! I just keep finding people who need help! In this case, it was the Graymane family. The Greymanes favor the Stormcloaks, while their neighbors, the Battle-borns, favor the Empire. The Greymanes believed that their young ma...comments -
Lucy’s Journal #4: Choosing Sides
by Piper JoTirdas: 25th of Last Seed I returned to Whiterun today. I don’t always follow through when I tell people I will do something, but there were a few things I'd said I would do that were of interest to me, and I wanted to start my journeys somewhere familiar. First thing I did was go to the alchemist’...comments -
Lucy's Journal 3: The Greybeards
by Piper JoLucy’s Journal #3: Loredas, 23rd of Last Seed 4E 201 Well, I now have a few answers, but more questions. At the urging of Jarl Balgruuf and his entire court, I travelled around and then up the Throat of the World to talk to a bunch of old monks aptly named the Greybeards. They told me some stuff, ...comments -
Lucy's Journal 2: Dragonborn
by Piper JoLucy’s Journal 2: Turdas, 20th of Last Seed So, I am now sure that the return of the dragons has something to do with me, and probably with that stupid amulet. Hadvar (not Halvar—must be a local dialect) said, “It couldn’t have been a coincidence that dragon appearing right when Ulfric Stormcloak w...comments -
Lucy's Journal #1: The Escape
by Piper JoMordas, 17th of Last Seed 4E 201 I’m alive and free! I’m also very far from home. In fact, I don’t even know where home is from here. I’ll start with the guard who decided to amuse himself by taunting me. “Hey orc! I’ve got good news and bad news,” he told me. I was too stunned at hearing his ...comments -
Date Unknown: Prison Journal of Luciana Henriette
by Piper JoI’ve lost track of time. There’s no window in this cell, so the only way I had to track days was by meal times, but now I can’t remember how many there have been. I can’t sleep. I lie awake in the dark thinking about my crimes. Wouldn’t my jailers love to hear that? But I don’t mean the crime I wa...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY EPISODE 9: In which, well, you'll just have to read it.
by Piper JoFive hundred forty three known exits from the sewers and by noon, no one could say how many people were out searching them. Neither Farys nor gro-Ushal would reveal specific numbers to the other. In the end, their mutual suspicion didn’t matter, because it was Nils that found the carved symbol and...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY EPISODE 8: In which they learn the importance of the amulet
by Piper JoLucy sat next to the woodstove and shivered. Her mother brought her tea. She wrapped her hands around the mug, but didn’t drink. “I have to find him,” she announced, in the voice of a sleepwalker. Her mother put a hand on her shoulder. “There are too many tunnels they could have taken, Sweets. You'l...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY EPISODE 7: In Which Lucy's mother sees her in a new light
by Piper JoLink to all previous episodes: http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0m7tnj8g66wc2 The plan was simple: follow the Altmeri until they found the dark-cloak-guys (or vice-versa), wait until both sides were engaged in some kind of battle, and then find and snatch the amulet. All the ...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY Episode 6: In which they kick the hornet's nest
by Piper JoLink to previous episodes: http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0m7tnj8g66wc2 Lucy settled into the rain gutter on the roof of the building across the alley from the Traveler’s Best Inn. She’d located the window of the second story room the Altmeri had rented, which was irregula...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY EPISODE 5: In which the Thieves Guild Youth Corps investigates a conspiracy
by Piper JoLink to episodes 1-4: http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0m7tnj8g66wc2 “Dalos,” Lucy greeted the dunmer boy, as Nils took up a position behind him to the left and Swims-in-Shadows took a position on his right. “We’d like to talk to you about something you might have seen in you...comments -
My Writing Technique
by Piper JoStep 1: Inspiration. An idea usually grows for a long time before I act on it. Then, around 1AM, it really takes form and won't let me go. Step 2: Write it down fast. Get everything down. Don't worry too hard about grammar or language or style, just tell the story. Step 3: Go back and edit for c...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY EPISODE 4: In which Lucy gets in the last word three times in a row.
by Piper JoLink to episodes 1 through 3: http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0m7tnj8g66wc2 The rendezvous point was a warehouse in the Majestic Vistas District. The boys arrived one by one after midnight, coming out of the sewer grate in the alley and slipping under a loose slat in the s...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY EPISODE 3: In which Lucy is confronted with her own prejudices
by Piper JoThe pounding in her head was how Lucy knew she was awake again—that and the feel of the cold stone floor. She tried to open her eyes, but the light was blinding. Taking control of her breath in the way Ma’ had taught her, she brought the throbbing down to a manageable level and opened one eye just...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY EPISODE 2: In which our young heroine is double crossed and arrested for the first time.
by Piper Jo“So you wanna be in the gang,” stated Torsten to Lucy. It was not a question. They looked evenly in each other’s eyes, because Lucy was big for her age, but they were not even in any other way. Torsten stood backed by five of his closest mates, his lieutenants. He was blond and blue eyed, and had ...comments -
CHARACTER BACKSTORY: In which a pair of outcasts unwittingly take on a most unlikely burden
by Piper JoThe gates had fallen and the city burned that night. Imperial officers rode the streets on their war chargers, proclaiming that the city had been liberated from tyranny and the citizens would be safe as long as they returned to their residences. Orcish soldiers, gripped by their battle madness, bea...comments