West I like it, I really like it.
Alienage blues
Débuté par
westiex9
, avril 14 2010 02:07
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#27
Posté 19 avril 2010 - 11:03
westiex9
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Slim Warden wrote...
West I like it, I really like it.
Thanks Slim! ill have more up soon
#28
Posté 19 avril 2010 - 01:35
westiex9
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Nemera’s song part 4
Why does it always rain when I’m on a case, it’s like the city is weeping at the sorrowful stories I investigate. Paedan’s doubtless meeting castor in the alienage round about now assuming he has any sense of self preservation, I on the other hand have more work to do.
Paedans confession is useful but only to a certain point after all how can a court be expected to trust the word of one weak willed officer? No I need something that will tighten the noose around Gavin’s neck and I need to find it soon, it is only a matter of time before Gavin senses something odd about Paedan or learns of our investigation.
But what could I possibly search for? Certainly Gavin won’t have left much for me to find but I know a few interesting details that he in his arrogance forgot to hide. I spoke with Nemera’s husband poor crippled Meron before I left the alienage to hunt for evidence, Nemera wore a silver necklace with a dalish wild flower design at its centre. The necklace wasn’t found on the body which means Gavin took it, maybe as a keepsake so he could remember the night of debauchery he got away with.
And so I head to corporal Gavin’s apartment in the trendier side of denerim, my hood conceals my elven features and my size makes me less suspicious. It’s not illegal for an elf to leave the alienage but the sight of an elf sneaking around or asking questions is not likely to endear me to the locals.
Gavin’s apartment is located in a well maintained tenement in the Legal district, doubtless paid for by his captain uncle. Sneaking in is surprisingly easy, one thing about us city elves is that we stick together in times of trouble and my friend Naeallene happens to work in this hotel. She lets me in through a back door and hands me her key, I need to be quick she tells me as Gavin will likely return soon and I really don’t want to get caught breaking into city guardsmen’s home.
I head up the stairs to his room on the second floor and turn the key in lock, the door creaks open to reveal a messy but expensive apartment that makes my home in the alienage look like a wooden crate with a door. Gavin’s apartment is strewn with clothing and the odd empty wine bottle; I search his draws for any sign of the amulet.
“Files...no....Sovereigns....no....there!” I reach into his draw and pull out a small object wrapped in cloth, I open it and see that it is indeed Nemera’s amulet and the white dalish flower design is stained with blood. I pocket the amulet and get ready to leave, but then i hear the laughter and approach of footsteps.
Climb out the window as the door slides open and Gavin strides in alcohol in one hand and human woman in the other, they like dunks and I can hear them as they begin making intimate sounds on his bed
“Want to see something?” he asks in a voice that sickens me with its excited tone
“Anything you want lover” the prostitute says in a silky voice
“Took this from an elf, was too nice to just leave” he says heading towards his drawer
“What happened to the elf?” The prostitute asks with a curious voice
“I dealt with her, got to keep them knife ears in line sometimes” he says with a laugh that fills me with anger
I hear the draw slide open
“Where is it!” he says angrily
The draw is torn from its cabinet “No! It was there...someone must have taken it!” he yells moving towards his
draw, I hear a sword unsheathe and he hacks at the wardrobe door hoping to slice up anyone inside
“No one!” he yells as I edge away from his window and climb up onto the roof
“Where are you!!” he yells his head poking out of the window, I climb onto the roof just in time to avoid being seen
He begins to smash furniture the prostitute screams and I hear scrambling feet and a door slam, I don’t wait to see what happens and begin to climb down into the alley on the side of the tenement. As I land on the cobbled ground I smile knowing I now have enough proof to convince Kylon to charge Gavin. I run to the alienage, we need to move quickly or Gavin may have time to do something drastic. And I would hate for him to miss his date with the seneschal in the black hall.
Why does it always rain when I’m on a case, it’s like the city is weeping at the sorrowful stories I investigate. Paedan’s doubtless meeting castor in the alienage round about now assuming he has any sense of self preservation, I on the other hand have more work to do.
Paedans confession is useful but only to a certain point after all how can a court be expected to trust the word of one weak willed officer? No I need something that will tighten the noose around Gavin’s neck and I need to find it soon, it is only a matter of time before Gavin senses something odd about Paedan or learns of our investigation.
But what could I possibly search for? Certainly Gavin won’t have left much for me to find but I know a few interesting details that he in his arrogance forgot to hide. I spoke with Nemera’s husband poor crippled Meron before I left the alienage to hunt for evidence, Nemera wore a silver necklace with a dalish wild flower design at its centre. The necklace wasn’t found on the body which means Gavin took it, maybe as a keepsake so he could remember the night of debauchery he got away with.
And so I head to corporal Gavin’s apartment in the trendier side of denerim, my hood conceals my elven features and my size makes me less suspicious. It’s not illegal for an elf to leave the alienage but the sight of an elf sneaking around or asking questions is not likely to endear me to the locals.
Gavin’s apartment is located in a well maintained tenement in the Legal district, doubtless paid for by his captain uncle. Sneaking in is surprisingly easy, one thing about us city elves is that we stick together in times of trouble and my friend Naeallene happens to work in this hotel. She lets me in through a back door and hands me her key, I need to be quick she tells me as Gavin will likely return soon and I really don’t want to get caught breaking into city guardsmen’s home.
I head up the stairs to his room on the second floor and turn the key in lock, the door creaks open to reveal a messy but expensive apartment that makes my home in the alienage look like a wooden crate with a door. Gavin’s apartment is strewn with clothing and the odd empty wine bottle; I search his draws for any sign of the amulet.
“Files...no....Sovereigns....no....there!” I reach into his draw and pull out a small object wrapped in cloth, I open it and see that it is indeed Nemera’s amulet and the white dalish flower design is stained with blood. I pocket the amulet and get ready to leave, but then i hear the laughter and approach of footsteps.
Climb out the window as the door slides open and Gavin strides in alcohol in one hand and human woman in the other, they like dunks and I can hear them as they begin making intimate sounds on his bed
“Want to see something?” he asks in a voice that sickens me with its excited tone
“Anything you want lover” the prostitute says in a silky voice
“Took this from an elf, was too nice to just leave” he says heading towards his drawer
“What happened to the elf?” The prostitute asks with a curious voice
“I dealt with her, got to keep them knife ears in line sometimes” he says with a laugh that fills me with anger
I hear the draw slide open
“Where is it!” he says angrily
The draw is torn from its cabinet “No! It was there...someone must have taken it!” he yells moving towards his
draw, I hear a sword unsheathe and he hacks at the wardrobe door hoping to slice up anyone inside
“No one!” he yells as I edge away from his window and climb up onto the roof
“Where are you!!” he yells his head poking out of the window, I climb onto the roof just in time to avoid being seen
He begins to smash furniture the prostitute screams and I hear scrambling feet and a door slam, I don’t wait to see what happens and begin to climb down into the alley on the side of the tenement. As I land on the cobbled ground I smile knowing I now have enough proof to convince Kylon to charge Gavin. I run to the alienage, we need to move quickly or Gavin may have time to do something drastic. And I would hate for him to miss his date with the seneschal in the black hall.
Modifié par westiex9, 19 avril 2010 - 02:31 .
#30
Posté 19 avril 2010 - 11:11
Slim Warden
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That was tense West, I can't wait til the next chapter.
#31
Posté 21 avril 2010 - 06:05
westiex9
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Nemera’s song part 5
When I found the amulet Gavin had taken from Nemera’s body the penny finally dropped, combined with Paedan’s sudden willingness to inform on his superior Kylon could finally charge Gavin and be certain his accusations would stick. Gavin of course had no intention of hanging around and tried to flee, the guards found him trying to leave the city via the docks and hauled him off to face trial.
And so after a night in fort drakon’s dark innards Gavin will finally face trial in the black hall, watching the crowds in the streets below the hall I realise that nearly every elf in the alienage now lines the cobbled streets in front of the hall. A crowd of thousands fills the streets and like any wounded people they could degenerate into a rioting mob if this trial goes badly, and their anger is clear as Gavin is led up the steps in chains, a sea of insults and curses fills the air like a poisonous cloud as he passes.
Inside the black hall people take every available space nobles, guards and elves all fill the inside of the cramped hall and watch as the trial unfolds. I sit in the front row and hope to the creators the evidence I have discovered will be sufficient to condemn Gavin.
The trial wears on with allegations being thrown across the room like spears and arrows, and then comes the moment of truth, Paedan is to take the stand. But he is nowhere to be seen, a guard is sent to the witness room to check on him. A startled scream fills the air as the guard runs back into the courtroom
“My lord seneschal! The witness is dead” he yells pointing in the direction of the room
”Dead!” the seneschal responds in an indignant tone
“Hanged from the rafters my lord” the guard responds “with his own belt” this last detail says it all
Gavin knew Paedan was a threat and always had, he’d kept a close eye on Paedan knowing a man with a conscience is likely to crack and tell the truth. And so my witness was hanged and by his own belt no less, Gavin’s connections had stretched to officers in the hall, even here justice was not safe from his corruption.
“What about the amulet, this was property of Nemera!” The prosecutor points out
“That amulet alone is not enough to try this man, we must convene in my chambers at once!” the seneschal
orders with a bash of his gavel
And so the case was rendered inconclusive, Paedan’s supposed suicide and the lack of any clear witnesses rendered any other evidence useless. Gavin was deemed innocent by lack of substantial evidence and allowed to walk free; he’d still have to go back to fort drakon for the night though, paperwork after all can be a real pain for the courts.
Is this how Nemera’s song is to end? With the murderer walking free?
As Gavin is led back to the carriage everything suddenly turns to chaos, the alienage crowd is enraged at the verdict and a riot the size of which denerim has never seen breaks out. Gavin’s carriage is overturned and he is dragged from it by countless angry hands, as I stand on the steps of the black hall the scene before me appears more like something from an ancient tale about the realms of the infernal gods. Rioters and guards fill the streets and the riot spreads out into the city proper bringing fire and chaos with it.
Below I hear a scream as Gavin is beaten to a bloodied pulp by the enraged mob and then thrown into his overturned prison carriage, some of the crowd light torches and throw them into the carriage, others follow suit and grab wood and anything flammable. And so Gavin is burnt alive in his own prison carriage, I feel no sympathy for him but all the same this is mob justice and it usually extends its judgements beyond the guilty.
“Makers breath look at those flames! The whole law district is ablaze!” Kylon says with a shocked gasp
“And look theirs fires spreading in the other districts!” my assistant castor points out in horror, from the hill of the black hall we see the smoke and mayhem that unfolds as the city is engulfed in a sea of fire and rage.
Looks like Gavin finally played the system a little too well; he abused his power and used his connections to keep himself free of punishment by the law. But he forgot that justice isn’t always nearly as pleasant and civilised as a trip to the black hall, and so he burns alive in a pyre of his own making. He perverted the course of civilised justice and in doing so awoke the wrath of an older and far more terrible sort, natural justice the action of the mob and the vigilante, vulgar and brutal but also honest.
I stare out into the city below, dirt beloved denerim is aflame and in all likelihood the king and queen will call in the army to wipe out the rioters, least that’s what happened when Cailan was king. Perhaps this is how Nemera’s song ends with fire and hatred.
But I was wrong and for that I am thankful, amazingly Queen Fiona did not march the royal army into the streets and there was no blood bath or retribution of any kind. Instead King Alistair ordered a city wide curfew, fires were put out and order was restored quicker then I could have imagined. I suppose I should have had more faith in the new king and queen after all they did kill Rendon Howe and free Soris, but then I forget they are wardens sometimes.
Gavin’s burnt corpse was found shrivelled and hanging from a gate near the market district the morning after the riots, his uncle the captain of the guard was gently pressured into retiring from office shortly afterwards and a new captain was instated. Kylon took his promotion with a grain of salt but at least an honest guy had the job for once.
As for Gavin’s connections, well a large number of them found themselves under investigation following the riots. Everyone knew Gavin was a murderer and with riot to his name as well Gavin’s infamy grew to the point that anyone who had been in bed (metaphorically) with him was under suspicion of corruption or worse.
And so Nemera’s song reaches its true end, on a surprisingly sunny day Meron, myself and Castor gathered with the rest of the alienage to give Nemera a proper send off in the heart of our community beneath the branches of the Venadhal.
Castor seems different, not traumatised but resilient and showing it, his first case and for all the death and horror he survived intact.
“How you holding up?” I ask Castor as the service continues
“Not too bad, I just wish this whole thing had ended the way it should have, we had him and then he just used his dirty connections to slip the noose” Castor says outraged
“Yeah cast he slipped our noose but he leapt from the hangman’s platform into a bonfire, corrupt people can talk their way out of many things but not a mob bent on killing them” I say with a slight chuckle
“It still ended ugly and unjustly” he replies irritated
“True but life is rarely clean and pretty, a murderer and rapist got his punishment, whether at the hangman’s stand or the hand of the crowd makes no real difference” I say with a sigh
“But surely you can’t condone a riot that burnt through the city!” Castor says angry
“Your right cast, I am angry we didn’t get legitimate justice but we can do nothing about that now it’s done, maybe one day elves will be able to gain the same rights as humans in the courts” I say calmly
“But not today?” he replies suddenly calmer too
“No today we struggle and fight for the equality our people deserve, we’ll get their castor but in the mean time we have to stand up for those who the shem won’t” I say in a hopeful voice
“Hey look doves!” a girl in the crowd yells joyfully
We look up to see hundreds of the birds sitting in the branches of the Vhenadhal
“Creators! That’s an omen if I ever I saw one!” I say amazed
“She...used to love those birds” Meron, Nemera’s husband says staring up at them
“She must be saying goodbye then” Castor says looking up with a smile
“Yeah that’s my Nemera always leaving things more beautiful than they were before” As Meron says this a single tear runs down his cheek and like a crystallised rain drop falls to the cobbled ground
And so this is how Nemera’s song ends, with the people she most loved in the world gathered to see her off. I can’t help but feel that I’ve failed her in some way, so as i stare up at the doves I promise to get legitimate justice the next time, and as the rain clouds part and the sun shines through I guess she hears my promise.
When I found the amulet Gavin had taken from Nemera’s body the penny finally dropped, combined with Paedan’s sudden willingness to inform on his superior Kylon could finally charge Gavin and be certain his accusations would stick. Gavin of course had no intention of hanging around and tried to flee, the guards found him trying to leave the city via the docks and hauled him off to face trial.
And so after a night in fort drakon’s dark innards Gavin will finally face trial in the black hall, watching the crowds in the streets below the hall I realise that nearly every elf in the alienage now lines the cobbled streets in front of the hall. A crowd of thousands fills the streets and like any wounded people they could degenerate into a rioting mob if this trial goes badly, and their anger is clear as Gavin is led up the steps in chains, a sea of insults and curses fills the air like a poisonous cloud as he passes.
Inside the black hall people take every available space nobles, guards and elves all fill the inside of the cramped hall and watch as the trial unfolds. I sit in the front row and hope to the creators the evidence I have discovered will be sufficient to condemn Gavin.
The trial wears on with allegations being thrown across the room like spears and arrows, and then comes the moment of truth, Paedan is to take the stand. But he is nowhere to be seen, a guard is sent to the witness room to check on him. A startled scream fills the air as the guard runs back into the courtroom
“My lord seneschal! The witness is dead” he yells pointing in the direction of the room
”Dead!” the seneschal responds in an indignant tone
“Hanged from the rafters my lord” the guard responds “with his own belt” this last detail says it all
Gavin knew Paedan was a threat and always had, he’d kept a close eye on Paedan knowing a man with a conscience is likely to crack and tell the truth. And so my witness was hanged and by his own belt no less, Gavin’s connections had stretched to officers in the hall, even here justice was not safe from his corruption.
“What about the amulet, this was property of Nemera!” The prosecutor points out
“That amulet alone is not enough to try this man, we must convene in my chambers at once!” the seneschal
orders with a bash of his gavel
And so the case was rendered inconclusive, Paedan’s supposed suicide and the lack of any clear witnesses rendered any other evidence useless. Gavin was deemed innocent by lack of substantial evidence and allowed to walk free; he’d still have to go back to fort drakon for the night though, paperwork after all can be a real pain for the courts.
Is this how Nemera’s song is to end? With the murderer walking free?
As Gavin is led back to the carriage everything suddenly turns to chaos, the alienage crowd is enraged at the verdict and a riot the size of which denerim has never seen breaks out. Gavin’s carriage is overturned and he is dragged from it by countless angry hands, as I stand on the steps of the black hall the scene before me appears more like something from an ancient tale about the realms of the infernal gods. Rioters and guards fill the streets and the riot spreads out into the city proper bringing fire and chaos with it.
Below I hear a scream as Gavin is beaten to a bloodied pulp by the enraged mob and then thrown into his overturned prison carriage, some of the crowd light torches and throw them into the carriage, others follow suit and grab wood and anything flammable. And so Gavin is burnt alive in his own prison carriage, I feel no sympathy for him but all the same this is mob justice and it usually extends its judgements beyond the guilty.
“Makers breath look at those flames! The whole law district is ablaze!” Kylon says with a shocked gasp
“And look theirs fires spreading in the other districts!” my assistant castor points out in horror, from the hill of the black hall we see the smoke and mayhem that unfolds as the city is engulfed in a sea of fire and rage.
Looks like Gavin finally played the system a little too well; he abused his power and used his connections to keep himself free of punishment by the law. But he forgot that justice isn’t always nearly as pleasant and civilised as a trip to the black hall, and so he burns alive in a pyre of his own making. He perverted the course of civilised justice and in doing so awoke the wrath of an older and far more terrible sort, natural justice the action of the mob and the vigilante, vulgar and brutal but also honest.
I stare out into the city below, dirt beloved denerim is aflame and in all likelihood the king and queen will call in the army to wipe out the rioters, least that’s what happened when Cailan was king. Perhaps this is how Nemera’s song ends with fire and hatred.
But I was wrong and for that I am thankful, amazingly Queen Fiona did not march the royal army into the streets and there was no blood bath or retribution of any kind. Instead King Alistair ordered a city wide curfew, fires were put out and order was restored quicker then I could have imagined. I suppose I should have had more faith in the new king and queen after all they did kill Rendon Howe and free Soris, but then I forget they are wardens sometimes.
Gavin’s burnt corpse was found shrivelled and hanging from a gate near the market district the morning after the riots, his uncle the captain of the guard was gently pressured into retiring from office shortly afterwards and a new captain was instated. Kylon took his promotion with a grain of salt but at least an honest guy had the job for once.
As for Gavin’s connections, well a large number of them found themselves under investigation following the riots. Everyone knew Gavin was a murderer and with riot to his name as well Gavin’s infamy grew to the point that anyone who had been in bed (metaphorically) with him was under suspicion of corruption or worse.
And so Nemera’s song reaches its true end, on a surprisingly sunny day Meron, myself and Castor gathered with the rest of the alienage to give Nemera a proper send off in the heart of our community beneath the branches of the Venadhal.
Castor seems different, not traumatised but resilient and showing it, his first case and for all the death and horror he survived intact.
“How you holding up?” I ask Castor as the service continues
“Not too bad, I just wish this whole thing had ended the way it should have, we had him and then he just used his dirty connections to slip the noose” Castor says outraged
“Yeah cast he slipped our noose but he leapt from the hangman’s platform into a bonfire, corrupt people can talk their way out of many things but not a mob bent on killing them” I say with a slight chuckle
“It still ended ugly and unjustly” he replies irritated
“True but life is rarely clean and pretty, a murderer and rapist got his punishment, whether at the hangman’s stand or the hand of the crowd makes no real difference” I say with a sigh
“But surely you can’t condone a riot that burnt through the city!” Castor says angry
“Your right cast, I am angry we didn’t get legitimate justice but we can do nothing about that now it’s done, maybe one day elves will be able to gain the same rights as humans in the courts” I say calmly
“But not today?” he replies suddenly calmer too
“No today we struggle and fight for the equality our people deserve, we’ll get their castor but in the mean time we have to stand up for those who the shem won’t” I say in a hopeful voice
“Hey look doves!” a girl in the crowd yells joyfully
We look up to see hundreds of the birds sitting in the branches of the Vhenadhal
“Creators! That’s an omen if I ever I saw one!” I say amazed
“She...used to love those birds” Meron, Nemera’s husband says staring up at them
“She must be saying goodbye then” Castor says looking up with a smile
“Yeah that’s my Nemera always leaving things more beautiful than they were before” As Meron says this a single tear runs down his cheek and like a crystallised rain drop falls to the cobbled ground
And so this is how Nemera’s song ends, with the people she most loved in the world gathered to see her off. I can’t help but feel that I’ve failed her in some way, so as i stare up at the doves I promise to get legitimate justice the next time, and as the rain clouds part and the sun shines through I guess she hears my promise.
Modifié par westiex9, 21 avril 2010 - 06:29 .
#33
Posté 21 avril 2010 - 06:12
westiex9
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Gilgamesh1138 wrote...
OH Sweet, my fix! Thank you!
Hehe no problem, took me a bit longer to write this one but i think it ties things up nicely
#34
Posté 21 avril 2010 - 07:15
westiex9
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Fast fingered woman part 1
Morning in the alienage I sit in my bed and listen to the sounds in the streets below, the old man across the street plays an older tune on his pipe, the elven girls gossip and giggle as they carry heavy baskets home and Castor argues and haggles with the man at the meat stall
“Five silvers for that scrawny leg, man your heads stuck in the fade” Castor says in the market below
“Three then” the stall man says with a guarded tone
“Two and a half” Castor replies
“Deal” the stall man replies
In addition to being an excellent assistant creators that boy can haggle like nobody’s business, I get out of bed and begin dressing as the familiar sound of Castor’s clumsy boots fills the downstairs part of my house and offices.
As I walk down the stairs the smell of bacon fills the air, if I’m lucky castor won’t get sidetracked and burn the breakfast like last week
“I see you’re out of bed early for once Erian” he replies pushing a plate in my direction as I take a seat
“I get up early once in a while!” I say in mock outrage
“When was the last time you got up early, Andraste’s coming? It’s those damn new sheets you bought in the
shem market too fine by half!”
“Elves gotta have some comfort in life” I say with a grin “so what’s the news on the street? Anything good?” I ask devouring my bacon like a hungry wolf
“You haven’t heard then?” he says with a raised eyebrow
“Hear what?” I ask curious
“The Golden hound in Arl Vaughan’s Estate was stolen last night and the guards never saw a thing, the crowns offering a reward for its return” he replies with a grin
“I always thought that scrawny bastard was the queen’s whipping boy, guess its true if the crown is the one offering a reward” I say chuckling
“Bastard might be Arl but the queen keeps him on a tight leash, guess if their offering a reward we should do our duty to the nation and get paid in the process” he says with a smirk
“How much are they offering anyway?” I ask
“Ten sovereigns” Castor says holding up ten digits
I nearly fall out of my chair “we could eat for six months with that kind of money, and the nobles give that money away for a paperweight!” I say laughing at the absurdity
“That dog statue isn’t worth much, but the symbolic value of pinching a statue from the Arl’s estate, well all I’m going to say is it makes him look like even more of a powerless puppet then before” Castor says
“Well then we best go see what Kylon has for us then” I reply
“Never thought we’d be getting back a statue for Arl Vaughan”
“The Gods have a sense of humour, Fen Harel must be on the winds” i say grinning as we leave the house
“Fen what? “ Castor says confused
“Didn’t your mother teach you about the god’s boy” I say with a chuckle
“My mother wasn’t dalish” he replies
“True I’ll tell you about the dread wolf another time then” I say as we leave the house
Time to go see Kylon and get rich off the crowns money.
Morning in the alienage I sit in my bed and listen to the sounds in the streets below, the old man across the street plays an older tune on his pipe, the elven girls gossip and giggle as they carry heavy baskets home and Castor argues and haggles with the man at the meat stall
“Five silvers for that scrawny leg, man your heads stuck in the fade” Castor says in the market below
“Three then” the stall man says with a guarded tone
“Two and a half” Castor replies
“Deal” the stall man replies
In addition to being an excellent assistant creators that boy can haggle like nobody’s business, I get out of bed and begin dressing as the familiar sound of Castor’s clumsy boots fills the downstairs part of my house and offices.
As I walk down the stairs the smell of bacon fills the air, if I’m lucky castor won’t get sidetracked and burn the breakfast like last week
“I see you’re out of bed early for once Erian” he replies pushing a plate in my direction as I take a seat
“I get up early once in a while!” I say in mock outrage
“When was the last time you got up early, Andraste’s coming? It’s those damn new sheets you bought in the
shem market too fine by half!”
“Elves gotta have some comfort in life” I say with a grin “so what’s the news on the street? Anything good?” I ask devouring my bacon like a hungry wolf
“You haven’t heard then?” he says with a raised eyebrow
“Hear what?” I ask curious
“The Golden hound in Arl Vaughan’s Estate was stolen last night and the guards never saw a thing, the crowns offering a reward for its return” he replies with a grin
“I always thought that scrawny bastard was the queen’s whipping boy, guess its true if the crown is the one offering a reward” I say chuckling
“Bastard might be Arl but the queen keeps him on a tight leash, guess if their offering a reward we should do our duty to the nation and get paid in the process” he says with a smirk
“How much are they offering anyway?” I ask
“Ten sovereigns” Castor says holding up ten digits
I nearly fall out of my chair “we could eat for six months with that kind of money, and the nobles give that money away for a paperweight!” I say laughing at the absurdity
“That dog statue isn’t worth much, but the symbolic value of pinching a statue from the Arl’s estate, well all I’m going to say is it makes him look like even more of a powerless puppet then before” Castor says
“Well then we best go see what Kylon has for us then” I reply
“Never thought we’d be getting back a statue for Arl Vaughan”
“The Gods have a sense of humour, Fen Harel must be on the winds” i say grinning as we leave the house
“Fen what? “ Castor says confused
“Didn’t your mother teach you about the god’s boy” I say with a chuckle
“My mother wasn’t dalish” he replies
“True I’ll tell you about the dread wolf another time then” I say as we leave the house
Time to go see Kylon and get rich off the crowns money.
Modifié par westiex9, 21 avril 2010 - 07:38 .
#35
Posté 21 avril 2010 - 08:14
Gilgamesh1138
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Oh nice! I can't wait for the next chapter! *HUGS*
#36
Posté 22 avril 2010 - 09:16
Slim Warden
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Keep them coming, I really enjoyed the last two entries.
#37
Posté 22 avril 2010 - 10:34
westiex9
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Fast fingered woman part 2
Denerim is the city of kings, since the time of calenhad this place has been a bustling hub thats only true rival is highever. Some people call this city the jewel in the king’s crown, personally as I walk across muddy cobbled streets and through dirty alleys I think it must be a pretty tarnished kind. Denerim’s true wealth is not in its lofty estates or busy markets; it’s in the multitude of people who call the city home, as we head to the Guard headquarters we pass all kinds. Soldiers, criminals, beggars, nobles, ****s and priests fill the street like a sea of diverse personalities.
As we enter the city guard barracks it is busy and undermanned as usual, crooks are shoved forward in chains and complaints flow from angry petitioners at the clerks counter, sometimes I’m glad I’m not a guardsmen in an official capacity. Captain Kylons new office is surprisingly well decorated and he doesn’t seem pleased about it.
“I’m starting to wonder if my predecessor actually did any work, seems like he spent more time furnishing his office and getting his nephew off the hook” Kylon grumbles
“At least you get a chance to make a difference” Castor says optimistically
“Yes assuming I ever sort through all this paperwork that is” Kylon says as he sorts through a pile of reports “so what can I do for you boys today?” he says not looking up from his desk
“We heard about the golden hound that got pinched from the Arls home, figured I’d go take a look for it” I say with a chuckle
“Hmmm...Sensitive case to say the least Kylon says pulling a file loose from the mess on his new desk “The statue is a small thing, only a little bigger then a paperweight, its value is mainly sentimental as it was a favourite piece for the late arl Urien” kylon says disinterested
“Nobles can be terribly petty” Castor says observing Kylons matter-a-fact tone
“I have countless districts to police and maker knows how much violent crime to deal with and the arl offers ten sovereigns for a paperweight, petty is right” Kylon mutters throwing another file into a growing pile behind his chair
“The only thing anyone noticed about the theft was an old card found on the empty pedestal where the hound paperweight had been” he says passing me a sketch
“Hey I know this symbol! Its fen harel the dread wolf” I say surprised
“Fen who?” Kylon says confused
“Dalish trickster god specializes in deception and betrayal” I reply staring at the laughing wolf on the sketch
“Looks like your culprit is an elf then, don’t blame them that much personally the arl is a complete bastard, Queen only reinstated him to get a vote at the landsmeet” Kylon says giving up his attempt to organize the pile
“Well we better get searching then” I say rising from my chair
“One more thing Erian, might be nothing but we’ve had some odd reports lately” Kylon says
“Odd?” I reply curious
“Some of the bars in the tailors district have been reporting a strange tattooed elven woman visiting and stuff
going missing around the same time” he says dismissively
“So you don’t think its serious then?” I ask
“Like i say probably nothing but if there’s an elven thief in town it might be an idea to ask around, don’t get many tattooed elves in denerim after all” he says
“Well it’s at least worth a try, thanks captain” I say leaving the room
He nods and returns to paperwork, outside the guard barracks Castor ponders the limited information we have
“Must be someone with something to do with the dalish” Castor says
“Why the dalish?” I ask
“think about it, who would have a grudge with the humans and knowledge of the creators, well unless you’ve
decided to go into stealing on the side boss” he says with a grin
“very funny but no, could be a dalish but bear in mind the dalish aren’t the only elves with knowledge of the pantheon, whoever this is they wanted the arl to know he’d been robbed and the fact they took a sentimental ornament is interesting” I say
“Someone with a grudge against Arl Vaughan then?” Castor asks
“That’s a club with a large membership Castor, must be someone with a score to settle, in any case lets head to the tailor’s district at very least they’ll be time to get a pint” I mutter with a laugh
We head off to the tailors district, and as we walk I wonder who this thief could be. Someone with a grudge enough to steal a near valueless keepsake, I doubt it’s a dalish more likely a person who knew the arls family well enough to sneak into the estate, still won’t know more till I investigate.
Denerim is the city of kings, since the time of calenhad this place has been a bustling hub thats only true rival is highever. Some people call this city the jewel in the king’s crown, personally as I walk across muddy cobbled streets and through dirty alleys I think it must be a pretty tarnished kind. Denerim’s true wealth is not in its lofty estates or busy markets; it’s in the multitude of people who call the city home, as we head to the Guard headquarters we pass all kinds. Soldiers, criminals, beggars, nobles, ****s and priests fill the street like a sea of diverse personalities.
As we enter the city guard barracks it is busy and undermanned as usual, crooks are shoved forward in chains and complaints flow from angry petitioners at the clerks counter, sometimes I’m glad I’m not a guardsmen in an official capacity. Captain Kylons new office is surprisingly well decorated and he doesn’t seem pleased about it.
“I’m starting to wonder if my predecessor actually did any work, seems like he spent more time furnishing his office and getting his nephew off the hook” Kylon grumbles
“At least you get a chance to make a difference” Castor says optimistically
“Yes assuming I ever sort through all this paperwork that is” Kylon says as he sorts through a pile of reports “so what can I do for you boys today?” he says not looking up from his desk
“We heard about the golden hound that got pinched from the Arls home, figured I’d go take a look for it” I say with a chuckle
“Hmmm...Sensitive case to say the least Kylon says pulling a file loose from the mess on his new desk “The statue is a small thing, only a little bigger then a paperweight, its value is mainly sentimental as it was a favourite piece for the late arl Urien” kylon says disinterested
“Nobles can be terribly petty” Castor says observing Kylons matter-a-fact tone
“I have countless districts to police and maker knows how much violent crime to deal with and the arl offers ten sovereigns for a paperweight, petty is right” Kylon mutters throwing another file into a growing pile behind his chair
“The only thing anyone noticed about the theft was an old card found on the empty pedestal where the hound paperweight had been” he says passing me a sketch
“Hey I know this symbol! Its fen harel the dread wolf” I say surprised
“Fen who?” Kylon says confused
“Dalish trickster god specializes in deception and betrayal” I reply staring at the laughing wolf on the sketch
“Looks like your culprit is an elf then, don’t blame them that much personally the arl is a complete bastard, Queen only reinstated him to get a vote at the landsmeet” Kylon says giving up his attempt to organize the pile
“Well we better get searching then” I say rising from my chair
“One more thing Erian, might be nothing but we’ve had some odd reports lately” Kylon says
“Odd?” I reply curious
“Some of the bars in the tailors district have been reporting a strange tattooed elven woman visiting and stuff
going missing around the same time” he says dismissively
“So you don’t think its serious then?” I ask
“Like i say probably nothing but if there’s an elven thief in town it might be an idea to ask around, don’t get many tattooed elves in denerim after all” he says
“Well it’s at least worth a try, thanks captain” I say leaving the room
He nods and returns to paperwork, outside the guard barracks Castor ponders the limited information we have
“Must be someone with something to do with the dalish” Castor says
“Why the dalish?” I ask
“think about it, who would have a grudge with the humans and knowledge of the creators, well unless you’ve
decided to go into stealing on the side boss” he says with a grin
“very funny but no, could be a dalish but bear in mind the dalish aren’t the only elves with knowledge of the pantheon, whoever this is they wanted the arl to know he’d been robbed and the fact they took a sentimental ornament is interesting” I say
“Someone with a grudge against Arl Vaughan then?” Castor asks
“That’s a club with a large membership Castor, must be someone with a score to settle, in any case lets head to the tailor’s district at very least they’ll be time to get a pint” I mutter with a laugh
We head off to the tailors district, and as we walk I wonder who this thief could be. Someone with a grudge enough to steal a near valueless keepsake, I doubt it’s a dalish more likely a person who knew the arls family well enough to sneak into the estate, still won’t know more till I investigate.
Modifié par westiex9, 22 avril 2010 - 10:36 .
#38
Posté 22 avril 2010 - 10:47
Gilgamesh1138
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Again, this is so good westie! I am enthralled once again. Love the humor your PC has, and Castor cracks me up too. I just adore this! : D
#39
Posté 23 avril 2010 - 12:28
Slim Warden
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To kinda quote a well known novel, please West can we have some more?
#40
Posté 23 avril 2010 - 01:40
westiex9
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Slim Warden wrote...
To kinda quote a well known novel, please West can we have some more?
Should have the next part up today, just busy scheming over how to finish the chapter.
#42
Posté 24 avril 2010 - 03:26
westiex9
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Fast fingered woman part 3
The tailor’s district is perhaps one of the more relaxed parts of denerim, elves like me don’t have to worry about being driven off by bigots half the tailors apprentices are elven, plus everyone’s too busy making clothes.
The tailors who live and work in this district are nowhere near as affluent as their customers but by alienage standards the well maintained townhouses and shop fronts look palatial, we really need to get a new standard.
Like every good lead we get the source of our information comes from a drinking establishment, thankfully unlike a trip to Zauben’s a tailor’s district bar is unlikely to leave me with missing parts.
The golden needle is an enticing little place, the inside is filled with tailors and apprentices and their families, and it’s a far cry from some of the people who populated other places I’ve visited. The publican is a skinny man with wild red hair and a face which seems used to laughter.
“Welcome to the Golden needle boys! What can I get ya” The publican asks with a warm smile
“We’re working with the crown and city guard on an investigation and heard you’d had some problems with a “tattooed” elf” castor says showing him the report
“yeah we had someone like that enter the place a couple of nights back, she was a short lass with these black vine tattoos covering her arms, she ordered a pint and spent the night sat in the corner exchanging rude glares at human guests and calling out at any elf who got too close” he says his smile drooping
“Calling out?” I ask
“think she called some of my elven staff ”slaves” but anyway she was in for most of the evening and left late, by the time we noticed stuff was missing she was long gone” he says scratching his head perplexed
“Jewellery” I ask
“Yeah! Mostly ladies necklaces and the like” he says excited
“Okay I think I know where to look castor, thanks for your time sir” I say grabbing castor
As we leave the bar castor becomes curious
“That was quick in there; you must have discovered something we didn’t even stop for a pint!” He says sounding vaguely annoyed at the lack of alcohol involved in our investigation
“Where do thieves sell their jewellery castor?” I ask
“Oh bugger I hate riddles, besides don’t thieves live in big mansions with secret trophy rooms where they store their ill gotten booty” he says with a mock maniacal look on his face
“Err....no castor....the biggest jewellery fence in the denerim underworld is greaves and I bet you he’s the only one with the power to handle jewellery stolen from the decent side of town” I say as we being to quicken our pace
“Off to the jewellers then! Shall we sing a song boss?” he says with an impish grin
“Why did I hire you again?” I say confused
“Because i take notes better than any shem and because the Hahren guilt tripped you into it” he says with a chuckle
“Riiigght well lets be off to the jewellers then mister note taker, you might get a wrist cramp before this nights over” i say as we head to greaves
An elf visiting the local jewellers, stranger things have occurred I suppose.
If you’ve ever wondered why surface dwarves have a reputation for being greedy and materialistic it’s probably because someone like greaves laid the foundations for that template. Greaves is the biggest jewellery fence in denerim and his cushy shop in the market district is actually just a front for his main line of work, stolen goods.
Greaves is the best judge of jewellery in the city and he likes to attribute this to the years of sweat and filth he spent in the Orzammar mines, he’s an alright enough bloke provided you can excuse his illicit trading practices. I once stopped off here to buy Vima my not so lovely former wife a gift, ended up with the biggest fake diamond necklace around, took her weeks to figure out it was just well polished quartz.
As we enter his shop Greaves is busy examining stones with one of those weird looking glasses the qunari brought to thedas, he’s a dignified looking sort and spends most of his time dressed in fine tailored clothing and perfume, in short he’s a dwarf’s dandy
.
“Hello greaves how’s things!” I say with genuine warmth
“Erian! Good to see you, heard about the investigator job, good move!” he says walking up to me and shaking my hand
“So you’re the biggest jeweller in denerim, wow is that necklace malachite!” castor says like a child in a toy shop
“Ha! Boys got an eye for stones!” Greaves laughs
“Speaking of stones did a tattooed elf sell you any jewellery recently?” I ask knowing he already knows why I came
“Can’t really rat on my clients, kinda looks bad” Greaves says nervously
“Just give me a hint, a street name and ill do the rest” I say
“Near the pearl, i hear she lives round those parts” he says
“The pearl!” Castor says excitedly
“She lives nearby...She doesn’t work there!” I say as if trying to deal with a child
“Well in any case we better go I mean the crown needs us!” He says with mock patriotism
“Come on then little mister ferelden lets get too it then” I say pulling him out of the shop
The pearl is the biggest brothel in town but it’s also a marker for the area around it, the working class
neighbourhood that has sprung up around has been home to all sorts of people and in such a sprawl it would be easy for a master thief to hide.
The tailor’s district is perhaps one of the more relaxed parts of denerim, elves like me don’t have to worry about being driven off by bigots half the tailors apprentices are elven, plus everyone’s too busy making clothes.
The tailors who live and work in this district are nowhere near as affluent as their customers but by alienage standards the well maintained townhouses and shop fronts look palatial, we really need to get a new standard.
Like every good lead we get the source of our information comes from a drinking establishment, thankfully unlike a trip to Zauben’s a tailor’s district bar is unlikely to leave me with missing parts.
The golden needle is an enticing little place, the inside is filled with tailors and apprentices and their families, and it’s a far cry from some of the people who populated other places I’ve visited. The publican is a skinny man with wild red hair and a face which seems used to laughter.
“Welcome to the Golden needle boys! What can I get ya” The publican asks with a warm smile
“We’re working with the crown and city guard on an investigation and heard you’d had some problems with a “tattooed” elf” castor says showing him the report
“yeah we had someone like that enter the place a couple of nights back, she was a short lass with these black vine tattoos covering her arms, she ordered a pint and spent the night sat in the corner exchanging rude glares at human guests and calling out at any elf who got too close” he says his smile drooping
“Calling out?” I ask
“think she called some of my elven staff ”slaves” but anyway she was in for most of the evening and left late, by the time we noticed stuff was missing she was long gone” he says scratching his head perplexed
“Jewellery” I ask
“Yeah! Mostly ladies necklaces and the like” he says excited
“Okay I think I know where to look castor, thanks for your time sir” I say grabbing castor
As we leave the bar castor becomes curious
“That was quick in there; you must have discovered something we didn’t even stop for a pint!” He says sounding vaguely annoyed at the lack of alcohol involved in our investigation
“Where do thieves sell their jewellery castor?” I ask
“Oh bugger I hate riddles, besides don’t thieves live in big mansions with secret trophy rooms where they store their ill gotten booty” he says with a mock maniacal look on his face
“Err....no castor....the biggest jewellery fence in the denerim underworld is greaves and I bet you he’s the only one with the power to handle jewellery stolen from the decent side of town” I say as we being to quicken our pace
“Off to the jewellers then! Shall we sing a song boss?” he says with an impish grin
“Why did I hire you again?” I say confused
“Because i take notes better than any shem and because the Hahren guilt tripped you into it” he says with a chuckle
“Riiigght well lets be off to the jewellers then mister note taker, you might get a wrist cramp before this nights over” i say as we head to greaves
An elf visiting the local jewellers, stranger things have occurred I suppose.
If you’ve ever wondered why surface dwarves have a reputation for being greedy and materialistic it’s probably because someone like greaves laid the foundations for that template. Greaves is the biggest jewellery fence in denerim and his cushy shop in the market district is actually just a front for his main line of work, stolen goods.
Greaves is the best judge of jewellery in the city and he likes to attribute this to the years of sweat and filth he spent in the Orzammar mines, he’s an alright enough bloke provided you can excuse his illicit trading practices. I once stopped off here to buy Vima my not so lovely former wife a gift, ended up with the biggest fake diamond necklace around, took her weeks to figure out it was just well polished quartz.
As we enter his shop Greaves is busy examining stones with one of those weird looking glasses the qunari brought to thedas, he’s a dignified looking sort and spends most of his time dressed in fine tailored clothing and perfume, in short he’s a dwarf’s dandy
.
“Hello greaves how’s things!” I say with genuine warmth
“Erian! Good to see you, heard about the investigator job, good move!” he says walking up to me and shaking my hand
“So you’re the biggest jeweller in denerim, wow is that necklace malachite!” castor says like a child in a toy shop
“Ha! Boys got an eye for stones!” Greaves laughs
“Speaking of stones did a tattooed elf sell you any jewellery recently?” I ask knowing he already knows why I came
“Can’t really rat on my clients, kinda looks bad” Greaves says nervously
“Just give me a hint, a street name and ill do the rest” I say
“Near the pearl, i hear she lives round those parts” he says
“The pearl!” Castor says excitedly
“She lives nearby...She doesn’t work there!” I say as if trying to deal with a child
“Well in any case we better go I mean the crown needs us!” He says with mock patriotism
“Come on then little mister ferelden lets get too it then” I say pulling him out of the shop
The pearl is the biggest brothel in town but it’s also a marker for the area around it, the working class
neighbourhood that has sprung up around has been home to all sorts of people and in such a sprawl it would be easy for a master thief to hide.
Modifié par westiex9, 24 avril 2010 - 03:29 .
#43
Posté 24 avril 2010 - 05:38
Gilgamesh1138
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I will read the next one, but I have company, so I am behind. : (
#44
Posté 24 avril 2010 - 12:48
Slim Warden
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Have I told you I like it? well I'm telling you again I like it.
#45
Posté 24 avril 2010 - 09:42
Gilgamesh1138
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I love Slim Warden and I love this story. *waves at Slim*
#46
Posté 25 avril 2010 - 10:16
Slim Warden
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*waves back at Gil* So much love, its just beautiful.
#47
Posté 25 avril 2010 - 01:40
westiex9
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Awww you guys are making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside 
heres another chapter
Fast Fingered woman Part 4
The pearl is denerim’s largest brothel; it is surrounded by a vast neighbourhood of dirty hovels and tenements. This is the Denerim of the poor and the desperate and a far cry from the pristine stone and Thatch of the fairer districts. As we walk down the cobbled street we try to avoid the various unpleasant obstacles ranging from horse dung to deep puddles.
We head towards the largest tenement block near the Pearl; if our thief is in denerim it’s unlikely they have a permanent residence. The block is typical lower class denerim design, ugly, dilapidated and caked in dirt and neglect. We enter to find a fat and pig eyed landlord sat at his desk looking over records with mock interest.
“What you lads want, if it’s a room we’re full” he says in a surly voice
“No ser we are here on crown business, we we’re wondering if you had rented any rooms to tattooed elves recently” Castor says trying to sound polite
“Aye there’s some lass in one of the second floor rooms, barbed tongued little wench if it weren’t for the money id have thrown her out” he says grumbling
“We need to speak with her “I say
“Pffftt don’t ask me for permission you want to chat with the witch go up and chat, just don’t cause any trouble or ill have the guard down here” he says with a dismissive wave
With the all clear given by our corpulent mass of a landlord we head upstairs, I wonder as we pass the filth caked walls and creaking floorboards if other nations have places like this, does every city from Denerim to Val Royeux manifest its neglect in miserable little apartments?
The door to the suspect’s room is locked and seems sturdy for a rotting bedsit room in a ruin of a tenement, did she request this specifically? I knock with a gloved fist and wait for a response. At first nothing happens, then after a second knock the door locks are turned on the other side and the door opens slightly to reveal a young elf woman with tattoos across the side of her face.
“Who are you?” she snaps
“Concerned locals” Castor says with a grin
“We were wondering if we could ask you some questions” I say showing the watch amulet that Kylon gifted me with after my first case
“Elf guards aye, didn’t know they existed, well you better come in” she says opening the door and letting us in
The apartment is much as I expected, bear of any luxury save a rough straw mattress
“You boys want a drink” she says in a weary voice
“Sure!” Castor says enthusiastically, I nod my head
She brings over a pitcher and two clay cups and pours something clear and sweet smelling into both of the cups, Castor wastes no time and gulps his drink down like a man dying of thirst on the Ander plains, but I notice something strange about the drink, a scent that doesn’t fit and then it hits me.....drugged.
Castor’s head falls back and he’s out like a cheap candle, I waste no time and throw my cup at our would be poisoner, she kicks the table sending it flying upwards. The table and the cup collide in a crash of wood and pottery and she dives for something by her bed...the quick flash of silver heralds the presence of a knife as she lunges at me.
Knocking me back into my chair she stands over me a sharp dalish knife pressed to my throat
“Don’t move!” she says knife in hand
“Is this how you usually treat guests?” I say with a strained chuckle
“Do you always argue with women with knives to your throat?” she replies
“Just you and my ex wife” I say flashing a grin, I knock the blade with a block from my wrist, the steel bracer hidden in my glove sending the steel blade clattering out of her hand. I grab her by her wrists and pin her against the wall.
“Now enough games! Where is the damn statue!” I say in a menacing voice
“Why do you care? What are you some marching dog for the shem!” she hisses under her breath
“What I am is an elf who could put ten sovereigns to good use, now sit down and tell me where the dog statue is hidden” I say in a calmer tone
She sits down in the chair knowing not to mess around without her knife handy, i look at her for a moment and suddenly see her face, same narrow cheeks, same fierce green eyes and same short boyish cut
“Creators! Valerie is that you?” I say shocked
She stares into my eyes and recognises me for the first time
“Erian?” she says as the realization sets in
Valerie Who’d have thought the thief would be an old ghost from my past. Fen harel must be on the winds, because if this is the creator’s idea of humour it stinks.
heres another chapter Fast Fingered woman Part 4
The pearl is denerim’s largest brothel; it is surrounded by a vast neighbourhood of dirty hovels and tenements. This is the Denerim of the poor and the desperate and a far cry from the pristine stone and Thatch of the fairer districts. As we walk down the cobbled street we try to avoid the various unpleasant obstacles ranging from horse dung to deep puddles.
We head towards the largest tenement block near the Pearl; if our thief is in denerim it’s unlikely they have a permanent residence. The block is typical lower class denerim design, ugly, dilapidated and caked in dirt and neglect. We enter to find a fat and pig eyed landlord sat at his desk looking over records with mock interest.
“What you lads want, if it’s a room we’re full” he says in a surly voice
“No ser we are here on crown business, we we’re wondering if you had rented any rooms to tattooed elves recently” Castor says trying to sound polite
“Aye there’s some lass in one of the second floor rooms, barbed tongued little wench if it weren’t for the money id have thrown her out” he says grumbling
“We need to speak with her “I say
“Pffftt don’t ask me for permission you want to chat with the witch go up and chat, just don’t cause any trouble or ill have the guard down here” he says with a dismissive wave
With the all clear given by our corpulent mass of a landlord we head upstairs, I wonder as we pass the filth caked walls and creaking floorboards if other nations have places like this, does every city from Denerim to Val Royeux manifest its neglect in miserable little apartments?
The door to the suspect’s room is locked and seems sturdy for a rotting bedsit room in a ruin of a tenement, did she request this specifically? I knock with a gloved fist and wait for a response. At first nothing happens, then after a second knock the door locks are turned on the other side and the door opens slightly to reveal a young elf woman with tattoos across the side of her face.
“Who are you?” she snaps
“Concerned locals” Castor says with a grin
“We were wondering if we could ask you some questions” I say showing the watch amulet that Kylon gifted me with after my first case
“Elf guards aye, didn’t know they existed, well you better come in” she says opening the door and letting us in
The apartment is much as I expected, bear of any luxury save a rough straw mattress
“You boys want a drink” she says in a weary voice
“Sure!” Castor says enthusiastically, I nod my head
She brings over a pitcher and two clay cups and pours something clear and sweet smelling into both of the cups, Castor wastes no time and gulps his drink down like a man dying of thirst on the Ander plains, but I notice something strange about the drink, a scent that doesn’t fit and then it hits me.....drugged.
Castor’s head falls back and he’s out like a cheap candle, I waste no time and throw my cup at our would be poisoner, she kicks the table sending it flying upwards. The table and the cup collide in a crash of wood and pottery and she dives for something by her bed...the quick flash of silver heralds the presence of a knife as she lunges at me.
Knocking me back into my chair she stands over me a sharp dalish knife pressed to my throat
“Don’t move!” she says knife in hand
“Is this how you usually treat guests?” I say with a strained chuckle
“Do you always argue with women with knives to your throat?” she replies
“Just you and my ex wife” I say flashing a grin, I knock the blade with a block from my wrist, the steel bracer hidden in my glove sending the steel blade clattering out of her hand. I grab her by her wrists and pin her against the wall.
“Now enough games! Where is the damn statue!” I say in a menacing voice
“Why do you care? What are you some marching dog for the shem!” she hisses under her breath
“What I am is an elf who could put ten sovereigns to good use, now sit down and tell me where the dog statue is hidden” I say in a calmer tone
She sits down in the chair knowing not to mess around without her knife handy, i look at her for a moment and suddenly see her face, same narrow cheeks, same fierce green eyes and same short boyish cut
“Creators! Valerie is that you?” I say shocked
She stares into my eyes and recognises me for the first time
“Erian?” she says as the realization sets in
Valerie Who’d have thought the thief would be an old ghost from my past. Fen harel must be on the winds, because if this is the creator’s idea of humour it stinks.
Modifié par westiex9, 25 avril 2010 - 02:11 .
#49
Posté 25 avril 2010 - 02:56
Gilgamesh1138
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OH MY! More please, oh please, oh please! : D
#50
Posté 26 avril 2010 - 05:27
westiex9
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Fast Fingered woman part 5
Alright I’ll admit that growing up in the alienage was never going to be the easiest life but my memories aren’t exactly as horrible and tragic as the humans might think. No the things I remember seem remarkably small now looking back scuffed knees, games played on muddy streets and the friendships cultivated by elven children growing up on those cramped little streets.
I remember them all Soris, Shianni, The eldest Tabris kid and Valerie we all grew up together in that place. I remember my parents as well, my father Seris was a living legend and had run off to join the rebellion back when Orlais was still busy occupying the land, he’d taken an arrow in the chest at river Dane and had been left with a wheezing cough ever after. Dad was a carpenter in his peacetime years and was quick to laugh despite his sickly state.
My mother too now she was a character; father met her while he was on the run from the orlesians and they became inseparable, to the point where she was willing to leave her clan and live with him in the alienage. Mother lived with us most winters but in summer she’d vanish off to Gwaren to hunt and sell pelts, when she did come home she usually had plenty of tales to share.
It was from mother that I learned about the Creators and the old elven tales; she was my link to our racial past and imparted everything she knew to me. When father died she left and I never saw her again, she placed her amulet around my door before she went as a last keepsake.
But I’m getting sidetracked, Valerie is the sort of person you never forget her image burns into your memory like a hot brand. She lived across the street from me with her mother, the father had been killed by humans during a scuffle years before it was just her and her mum. Valerie was my childhood friend and we spent more time together as we got older, by the time we were in our teens we were lovers.
But this idyllic world that lived and breathed died violently many years ago, just as other tragedies would claim or alter the lives of my friends and family so too did fate intervene in Valerie’s life. Her mother was a chamber maid in the household of arl Urien no less, she was proud of her position and worked hard for her pay but of course that would not save her. You see arl Urien was a pretty oblivious parent and his son grew up treating elves as his playthings, one night he was drunk and tried to force himself upon Valerie’s mother she fought back, a bottle to the head did not deter Vaughan though and he ran her through claiming she had assaulted him.
Now like I said Urien was a terrible parent and did not recognise the twisted evil that festered in his son’s soul, maybe im being too harsh and maybe Urien was unwilling to believe the worst about his only son, but he still covered up the whole thing and let his son continue his foul life of debauchery. Valerie was distraught with grief as you can well imagine, things not being made any better by the fact that her mother had been murdered and blamed for an assault we all knew never occurred. She left the alienage shortly afterwards, some said she had sworn to find the dalish but no one was certain, all I knew was that the love of my life was gone.
And so now here she is alive and well, and now I am forced to decide what course to take with her, burdens of responsibility and all that dung.
“Why did you take the statue?” I ask her knowing what will come next
“it was a statement Erian, I wanted the man who killed my mother to know that an elf could sneak into his home anytime and take from him anything be it his father’s favourite trinkets or his own life” she says the bitterness in her voice evident
“Where did you learn to sneak like that? What happened to you Valerie?” I ask
“Ha, now that is a long story...” she says with a weary laugh
“So tell it, we’ve got a while before castor wakes up” I say sitting down
And so our plot thickens, she tells me that she left the alienage to find the dalish in an angry attempt to find a group that hated the shem as much as she did. She wandered for a while before finding them; she says she spent many nights in barns and under bridge crossings before she found what she sought.
The dalish welcomed her as kin and in time she learnt the skills of the hunters from them, and the same lore I had been taught by my own mother. And it was while living among the dalish that she learned of Fen Harel, the
dread wolf.
The idea of a trickster god clearly appealed to her vengeful side and so she began to hone her craft to the point of mastery, she would become like the wolf and take her revenge in shadow. She soon grew tired of the dalish clan and left one night to pursue a new lifestyle, theft was rife in the orlesian cities and she soon made her name in the cities of Jader and Montsimmard, but all of these places were just a prelude to her eventual goal, she was going to return to denerim and take vengeance on Vaughan kendall the new arl of denerim.
“But you didn’t kill him why” I ask amazed
“That was my original plan, but then I heard about the revolt...the reprisals would have been...horrible so I decided to steal something he treasured” she says with a dark smile
“And where is the damn hound now?” I ask suddenly impatient
She sighs “in my pack, over by the bed” I don’t turn my back on her as I move towards the pack by the bed
I open the pack and find the heavy statue a golden mabari hound, my ticket to ten sovereigns worth of pay.
“Why tell me where it is?” I ask curious
“Because I never wanted the statue, just what was inside” she says taking the statue and revealing a hollow compartment at the base
“arl urien kept some letters in that statue, detailing his son’s debaucheries, he never wanted them to be read but he wrote them before he went to Ostagar as a form of conscience clearing” she says with a wicked smile
“I can’t let you release those, it would slander the Queen for reinstating him” I say seriously
“Still an idealist I see, I have no intention of releasing them in fact that was never my plan” she says with a wicked grin
“What are you up to Valerie?” I say in a suspicious voice
“I want you to take that statue back to the Guard; Vaughan will see the open compartment and know I have his dirty secrets...that will be enough for me knowing he won’t rest so easy at night” she says calmly
“So I get paid and you get revenge?” I ask
“Exactly” she replies
“Well I have no love for Vaughan and I don’t want you to get caught...why not...” reply
“Perfect! You always were a smart guy, say are you still.....? You now...as big an elf as I remember?” she says with a giggle
“We don’t have THAT much time before castor comes to you know” I reply with a grin
“maybe another time then, look I need to leave, if you guys know about me I suspect others will soon enough as well” she says taking her pack from the side of the bed
“Where will you go?” is ask as she moves towards the window
“Might head to Antiva for a while, I hear the thieving prospects are good” she says as she opens the window
“But don’t worry we are far from done Erian, I didn’t forget about you, how could I” she says
“Well I’m single and tied to this city; you know where to find me” I say with a sly grin
“Maybe I’ll come back” she says
“Maybe I’ll be here” I reply as she leaps from the window
And so that’s how I found the damn golden statue, the money from the thing kept me and Castor comfortable for months afterward. I hear that Vaughan developed a paranoid outlook on life some time after the statues return, and that he never slept well afterwards.
Valerie was gone as quickly as the last time, and I didn’t hear anything from her in the months that followed, and yet it feels like this is not the last time we’ll cross paths.
We didn’t have much time to celebrate a case well done though, a week after the case of the golden mabari was concluded a message from Kylon made its way to my office.
“Sir” the Guardsman says
“Something’s happened hasn’t it” castor says ominously
“Yes, the captain sent me to tell you to meet in the market district, something has happened and trust me you
won’t believe your eyes, you won’t want to for that matter” the guard says in a disturbed voice
“No rest for the wicked then” I say rising from my chair
A new case awaited and the events that would follow would scar many a mind for years to come, a horror had come to denerim and they soon named the site of his first murder a little place called “Demon Ally”
END
Alright I’ll admit that growing up in the alienage was never going to be the easiest life but my memories aren’t exactly as horrible and tragic as the humans might think. No the things I remember seem remarkably small now looking back scuffed knees, games played on muddy streets and the friendships cultivated by elven children growing up on those cramped little streets.
I remember them all Soris, Shianni, The eldest Tabris kid and Valerie we all grew up together in that place. I remember my parents as well, my father Seris was a living legend and had run off to join the rebellion back when Orlais was still busy occupying the land, he’d taken an arrow in the chest at river Dane and had been left with a wheezing cough ever after. Dad was a carpenter in his peacetime years and was quick to laugh despite his sickly state.
My mother too now she was a character; father met her while he was on the run from the orlesians and they became inseparable, to the point where she was willing to leave her clan and live with him in the alienage. Mother lived with us most winters but in summer she’d vanish off to Gwaren to hunt and sell pelts, when she did come home she usually had plenty of tales to share.
It was from mother that I learned about the Creators and the old elven tales; she was my link to our racial past and imparted everything she knew to me. When father died she left and I never saw her again, she placed her amulet around my door before she went as a last keepsake.
But I’m getting sidetracked, Valerie is the sort of person you never forget her image burns into your memory like a hot brand. She lived across the street from me with her mother, the father had been killed by humans during a scuffle years before it was just her and her mum. Valerie was my childhood friend and we spent more time together as we got older, by the time we were in our teens we were lovers.
But this idyllic world that lived and breathed died violently many years ago, just as other tragedies would claim or alter the lives of my friends and family so too did fate intervene in Valerie’s life. Her mother was a chamber maid in the household of arl Urien no less, she was proud of her position and worked hard for her pay but of course that would not save her. You see arl Urien was a pretty oblivious parent and his son grew up treating elves as his playthings, one night he was drunk and tried to force himself upon Valerie’s mother she fought back, a bottle to the head did not deter Vaughan though and he ran her through claiming she had assaulted him.
Now like I said Urien was a terrible parent and did not recognise the twisted evil that festered in his son’s soul, maybe im being too harsh and maybe Urien was unwilling to believe the worst about his only son, but he still covered up the whole thing and let his son continue his foul life of debauchery. Valerie was distraught with grief as you can well imagine, things not being made any better by the fact that her mother had been murdered and blamed for an assault we all knew never occurred. She left the alienage shortly afterwards, some said she had sworn to find the dalish but no one was certain, all I knew was that the love of my life was gone.
And so now here she is alive and well, and now I am forced to decide what course to take with her, burdens of responsibility and all that dung.
“Why did you take the statue?” I ask her knowing what will come next
“it was a statement Erian, I wanted the man who killed my mother to know that an elf could sneak into his home anytime and take from him anything be it his father’s favourite trinkets or his own life” she says the bitterness in her voice evident
“Where did you learn to sneak like that? What happened to you Valerie?” I ask
“Ha, now that is a long story...” she says with a weary laugh
“So tell it, we’ve got a while before castor wakes up” I say sitting down
And so our plot thickens, she tells me that she left the alienage to find the dalish in an angry attempt to find a group that hated the shem as much as she did. She wandered for a while before finding them; she says she spent many nights in barns and under bridge crossings before she found what she sought.
The dalish welcomed her as kin and in time she learnt the skills of the hunters from them, and the same lore I had been taught by my own mother. And it was while living among the dalish that she learned of Fen Harel, the
dread wolf.
The idea of a trickster god clearly appealed to her vengeful side and so she began to hone her craft to the point of mastery, she would become like the wolf and take her revenge in shadow. She soon grew tired of the dalish clan and left one night to pursue a new lifestyle, theft was rife in the orlesian cities and she soon made her name in the cities of Jader and Montsimmard, but all of these places were just a prelude to her eventual goal, she was going to return to denerim and take vengeance on Vaughan kendall the new arl of denerim.
“But you didn’t kill him why” I ask amazed
“That was my original plan, but then I heard about the revolt...the reprisals would have been...horrible so I decided to steal something he treasured” she says with a dark smile
“And where is the damn hound now?” I ask suddenly impatient
She sighs “in my pack, over by the bed” I don’t turn my back on her as I move towards the pack by the bed
I open the pack and find the heavy statue a golden mabari hound, my ticket to ten sovereigns worth of pay.
“Why tell me where it is?” I ask curious
“Because I never wanted the statue, just what was inside” she says taking the statue and revealing a hollow compartment at the base
“arl urien kept some letters in that statue, detailing his son’s debaucheries, he never wanted them to be read but he wrote them before he went to Ostagar as a form of conscience clearing” she says with a wicked smile
“I can’t let you release those, it would slander the Queen for reinstating him” I say seriously
“Still an idealist I see, I have no intention of releasing them in fact that was never my plan” she says with a wicked grin
“What are you up to Valerie?” I say in a suspicious voice
“I want you to take that statue back to the Guard; Vaughan will see the open compartment and know I have his dirty secrets...that will be enough for me knowing he won’t rest so easy at night” she says calmly
“So I get paid and you get revenge?” I ask
“Exactly” she replies
“Well I have no love for Vaughan and I don’t want you to get caught...why not...” reply
“Perfect! You always were a smart guy, say are you still.....? You now...as big an elf as I remember?” she says with a giggle
“We don’t have THAT much time before castor comes to you know” I reply with a grin
“maybe another time then, look I need to leave, if you guys know about me I suspect others will soon enough as well” she says taking her pack from the side of the bed
“Where will you go?” is ask as she moves towards the window
“Might head to Antiva for a while, I hear the thieving prospects are good” she says as she opens the window
“But don’t worry we are far from done Erian, I didn’t forget about you, how could I” she says
“Well I’m single and tied to this city; you know where to find me” I say with a sly grin
“Maybe I’ll come back” she says
“Maybe I’ll be here” I reply as she leaps from the window
And so that’s how I found the damn golden statue, the money from the thing kept me and Castor comfortable for months afterward. I hear that Vaughan developed a paranoid outlook on life some time after the statues return, and that he never slept well afterwards.
Valerie was gone as quickly as the last time, and I didn’t hear anything from her in the months that followed, and yet it feels like this is not the last time we’ll cross paths.
We didn’t have much time to celebrate a case well done though, a week after the case of the golden mabari was concluded a message from Kylon made its way to my office.
“Sir” the Guardsman says
“Something’s happened hasn’t it” castor says ominously
“Yes, the captain sent me to tell you to meet in the market district, something has happened and trust me you
won’t believe your eyes, you won’t want to for that matter” the guard says in a disturbed voice
“No rest for the wicked then” I say rising from my chair
A new case awaited and the events that would follow would scar many a mind for years to come, a horror had come to denerim and they soon named the site of his first murder a little place called “Demon Ally”
END
Modifié par westiex9, 26 avril 2010 - 05:29 .
