Endare - Dairy of a Dunmer Beggar

[Mr1cammando]

I thought that I might as well try my hand at this diary thing. I've only ever written in a well-established character, so this is going to be a new thing for everyone.

1: Backstory

Endare was born an orphan in the Imperial City. When most people visited the city, they would always compliment it's luster and greatness. What was never praised though, were its citizens. Endare had lived the life of a beggar since he was sixteen. No one would never offer anything to anyone. No food, no water, no rest and especially no gold. On his 23 birthday, he was caught in the crossfire between Aldmeri Soldiers and Imperial Legions. Endare saw that he had a chance to finally make some money, or at least find enough food for a full belly. He started taking food and gold of hiding men and woman. They would feel his suffering.

He was eventually caught, and was forced to flee northwards, to Skyrim. He found an Imperial camp, and made a living chopping lumber, and again, begging for food and change. Again, he needed more food. He was sure of his demise should he fail. He managed to take 7 septims and 2 raw rabbit legs before he was caught. The camp caught him, and forced on a passing Imperial carraige, heading straight for Helgen.

2: Restrictions

- proceed through the game intro and then leave the cave with NOTHING
- difficulty set to 'master'
- HUD set to 0%
- brightness dropped down 2 notches
- only carry 30% of what game allows
- only carry 30 arrows max
- must fully sheath weapon to use a potion
- may not harvest unreasonable items (if a dead elk has a garnet don't take it)
- may not activate overpowered/unrealistic perks (like conditioning; heavy armor weighs nothing)
- must sleep for at least 8 hours every day (allowed to make rare exceptions)
- must eat 2 meals a day (allowed to make rare exceptions)
- may not use smithing or enchanting (must find/purchase all gear)
- may not swim while wearing armor (Unless made of fur/hide)
- may not enter freezing water unless on a horse
- may not use in-game map unless at a known location
- may not fast travel (except by cart)
- may not use exploits
- may not cut wood for money
- if you set off a trap and it injures you then you are dead
- may only use manual saves after sleeping (resting)
- when character dies must load from the most recent save
- if character dies must fast travel to nearest inn and wait (recover) for 7 days
- must spend 300 gold with the innkeep to cover room and board
- mercenary fees cover 1 day only
- companions may carry 10% extra carry weight
- companions and horses follow Dead is Dead
- horse must be fed 5 points of health a day


3: Character Restrictions

- May use magic, but if used on animals, may not harvest pelts.
- May only pick locks is at right level (Novice = Any, Aprentice = 25) with few exceptions.
- May steal from anyone, but only allowed to murder is caught, or other rare happenings.
- A thief benefits from chaos, may not choose side in civil war.

 

[Mr1cammando]

Day Unknown

It has been over a week since I've written in this diary. I feel the need to recap on what I have done. Nine days ago, I had been taken to Helgen for petty thievery, and was to executed by Imperial Soldiers. A bit melodramatic I suppose, but I digress. Moving on, I was to beheaded by the axe-man, along with several Stormcloaks and Ulfric himself. I never heard much news of him in the Imperial City, but he matched the descriptions I'd overheard. Tall, dark hair, and a very imposing man. His wide yet beady eyes glared at the presiding General as he repeated Ulfric's crimes back at him. As the first Stormcloak fell dead by means of a a a viscous axe, a dragon, a cloud of night, darkness and evil swooped down, just before my head was to be taken as well.

All hell broke loose, the General shouting, soldiers running, and Stormcloaks escaping. I was beckoned over by a friendly nord man, who led me into a tower. He urged me up the tower, when a wall fell, showing the ugly face of the dragon. After it left, made my way through the keep, trying to avoid its fiery flames and to avoid the death the befell so many others. I followed the Nord man again, where he led me to the underground of the keep. He pushed through the many Stormcloaks, also attempting to flee the dragon. Eventually, he found a cave, and then, the cave's exit. He insisted that I followed him to a nearby town, Riverwood he called it. We met up with his Uncle, Alvor, the town blacksmith. He offered me food, which as I learned as a beggar, is something never to be turned down. It was meager, but some is better than none.

Over the last few days, I have been making enough money selling alchemical ingrediants to anyone I can find, and have made enough money for real food and a real warm bed. I looted bandit hideouts, practiced my skills with an axe and with my spells. I made more and more money. I bought more spells, new weapons, new armor, I was living the life I always wanted to live.

Two weeks ago, I was given a bounty letter. I was to kill the bandit leader at Halted Streams Camp. I was in Whiterun at the time, and had just finished buying some spells from Farengar, the court wizard. The Jarl had also given me the task of retrieving a "dragonstone" from an old crypt. I never want to do that.

So i set out for Halted Stream. I watched from a nearby hill as two frost mages attacked the small camp. It was a short fight, but before long, the mages spotted me. They rushed in, attacking me with a frost colder than the peak of the Throat of the World. I fled into the camp, and rushed into the mine. The mages did not follow. I thought it curious at the time, and thought little of it, thankful that I was safe.

I walked down the shaft, and heard a bandit humming a tune to himself. He was mining a vein of metal and didn't hear my approch. I dug my axe into his back, and he let out a yelp of surprise. He turned around and drew an axe of his own, just as my second swing found its mark in his face. I again continued my decent, careful of the low sod ceiling above me. I came to a central room, where I could see the Chief and two other bandits. And Orc was bragging to another about how sharp his axe was. I torched him as soon as he stopped talking.

The flame ignited some spilled lantern oil, and killed the two bandits. The leader drew his massive greatsword and charged up the ramp where I was hiding. The man was a Redguard and knew no fear. He charged through the fire that had melted the two others. He hit once and I felt my entire body recoil in pain. I sprinted back up the ramp, and just as I reached the door to salvation, I felt the next sword strike bury itself in my back.

I awoke a week later in the Bannered Mare, where I write this entry now.

 

[Mr1cammando]

Sundas, 31 of Last Seed

I did it. I'm now in dept. A tall stack of 100 gold peices I now owe to the Sleeping Giant inn. I was cought in a fight with some mercenaries, maybe from one of the bandits I fought, or the mages from last week. Each was clad in Iron armor, of greater quality to my studded armor. My new friend, Faendal was there with me, and likely saved my life, after finding my crumpled form, littering the side of the road.

When I saw the armored man turn the corner, I was friendly and asked him what he was up to. He replied with a cold "We're here to teach you a lesson." Just then, two more heavy armored men turned the same corner. Faendal stopped dead in his tracks and drew his bow. I drew my axe and my spell of fire.

This fight was not only a surprise, but also the most intense I've ever been in. I tested my new fury spell on one, but it didn't even effect him! I feel bad for Faendal, who I dragged into a fight that wasn't his. In fact, I told him we were headed to Halted Steams Camp, where the bandit who nearly killed me resides. I also offered him the chance to hunt on the way there. I fairly sure he only came because I mentioned hunting.

Each man took his swings at me, while Faendal peppered them with arrows. I tried to lead the thugs away from Faendal, hoping to buy him some time to escape. But he was stubborn and insisted on helping me. The men surrounded me and cut me down and then ran off toward Faendal. The last thing I remember seeing is the damn brave elf diving into the water.

I woke up in the Sleeping Giant Inn, and as I said, owing them the worth of the Halted Streams bounty.

 

[DarkEastwood]

Nicely written. Interesting choice of how you included the dragons. Will do my best to follow this one.

 

[DarkEastwood]

I feel like you left out some needed details, like how you obtained the Fury spell, or how you met Faendal. It'd help to fill in holes like those.

 

[Mr1cammando]

Ah thanks you for the tips. I will have to include some more of those later on.

 

[Mr1cammando]

Sundas 7th of Heartfire

Do you remember those thugs from last week? The ones that put me in a bed, licking my wounds for the past week? They were back. After an entire week. They confronted me as soon as I left the inn. And in the blink of an eye chaos ensued. I ran to the Riverwood mill, figuring that a better position would be useful. Faendal had been sent home when I was wounded to badly, so he was nowhere to be seen. All three thugs charged across the bridge to meet me.

I assumed that I had met my end, when out of the blue, an arrow hit one of the thugs in the back! Faendal! Two of the thugs peeled off the find the source of that arrow, and I took the fight to the remaining thug, using fire and steel to bring his heavy body down on top of him. I next tried to find Faendal, who had just saved my life for the second time this month. I looked for the thugs, turned a corner to see them charging at me, blades drawn. Faendal was nowhere to be seen. I hoped he was still alive, but there were currently two men attacking me with tempered steel, and I had better things to worry about right now.

I ran back to the mill, in hopes of reusing the position I used before. Again, with a terrible mixture of magic and hard steel, the other two men were down. I found a note on the leader. It said that they were to teach me a lesson, but not to kill me. Well, they certainly didn't care about that part of the letter. At the bottom, it was signed Olfrid Battle-Born. I took a coin purse form what must have been his home two or three days ago. He must have seen me, and sent these men. At least I know who did this to me.

Next morning, I will search for Faendal, and confront Olfrid about this little "incident".

 

[Mr1cammando]

Mundus 8th of Heartfire

I asked around town if they had seen Faendal anywhere. Each person said no. I was so desperate, I even asked Sven, whose love-life I had ruined in Faendal's favor. I took to the hills, searching every nook and cranny, hoping to find a living elf. When I found him, I was a two minute walk away from Riverwood. Faendal was lying on his face, only his helmet stopped him from having his face covered in mud. I quickly turned him over and threw off his helmet. I propped him against a rock, and checked for breathing and a pulse. I found neither. My friend, my only friend in Skyrim, was just killed by Olfrid, and indirectly, by me. I placed two flowers and his bow beside him, and bared him a final farewell.

Faendal had saved my life so the second time. I owed him mine twice over. As I sat by his body, I thought about what to do next. It came to me that I should find Olfrid. Settle things with him, violently or otherwise. I would avenge him.

I sprinted off towards Whiterun, eager to confront Olfrid for his wrongdoings. As I approched the gate, I ran into a courier, who gave me Faendal's inheritance. The money sank like a stone in my pocket. It servered only to fuel the burning fire of hatred the brew in the pit of chest. A rage reserved for Olfrid. I slowly walked up to him and shouted at him, at the top of my voice, all the wrongs he had done to me and to Faendal. He refused to acknowlage the note I found on the thug's body. He denied everything, but said that if I did anything like this again, or reported him to the Jarl, he would send thugs towards me til I died.

He doesn't know what he has gotten himself into. I will exact my revenge on him. I will put an end to that farm of his. Strip him down to poverty. I will kill his family and cause every kind of pain I have ever felt, and levy it on him. He will know pain, loneliness, and hunger.

He will know it all.​

 

[Mr1cammando]

So, what are your thoughts so far? Should I be adding or removing something?

 

[DarkEastwood]

The last one was pretty good.

 

[MushroomGenius]

Enjoying the story so far, grammar could use a bit of work, but it's interesting to see where this will lead. Unfortunately, improper use of grammar distracts from the story.

I hate to suggest re-rolling this as you've done quite a bit of good storytelling so far, but I share Eastwood's view that there are a lot of holes in your story.

• Prior to your character's assault by the thugs, there was never a mention of him visiting Whiterun. How did he get there? What were his first impressions of the city? How was he treated? Why did he choose Olfrid's home?
• Re: Faendal - It would have been nice to see a more fleshed out relationship between the two. What makes him special to your character? How did they become friends?

I know it can be a bit difficult to actually write for a character you're actively playing, five minutes of in-game time can amount to an hour of descriptive writing, but your story/journal will flow much better when the details are all covered.

Keep writing!

 

[Mr1cammando]

Enjoying the story so far, grammar could use a bit of work, but it's interesting to see where this will lead. Unfortunately, improper use of grammar distracts from the story.

I hate to suggest re-rolling this as you've done quite a bit of good storytelling so far, but I share Eastwood's view that there are a lot of holes in your story.

• Prior to your character's assault by the thugs, there was never a mention of him visiting Whiterun. How did he get there? What were his first impressions of the city? How was he treated? Why did he choose Olfrid's home?
• Re: Faendal - It would have been nice to see a more fleshed out relationship between the two. What makes him special to your character? How did they become friends?

I know it can be a bit difficult to actually write for a character you're actively playing, five minutes of in-game time can amount to an hour of descriptive writing, but your story/journal will flow much better when the details are all covered.


Keep writing!

Ah, I was a bit angry writing out that last one. I will have to go back and edit those posts.

 

[Mr1cammando]

I touched up some of the posts and extended them. Tell me if you find anymore errors.

 

[DarkEastwood]

I think a very big missed opportunity, is to describe to us how you robbed Olfrid's house. Or at the very least, mention it. If you want to have your bounty hunting be your main focus, then that's fine. But make sure you include EVERYTHING you do in the game, including writing some of the thoughts and reactions of your character during important events. Like your robbery, or entering Whiterun for the first time.

 

[Mr1cammando]

I think a very big missed opportunity, is to describe to us how you robbed Olfrid's house. Or at the very least, mention it. If you want to have your bounty hunting be your main focus, then that's fine. But make sure you include EVERYTHING you do in the game, including writing some of the thoughts and reactions of your character during important events. Like your robbery, or entering Whiterun for the first time.

Yeah, I think I'm over my head here, a bit too much effort for something so small. More fun just to play without having to report it all.

 

[Necromis]

I have to point out one thing in a funny way. What does the Milk of a Denumer Beggar taste like? Or is there another Dairy product thought of in this instance? You could probaby ask Rayven or another mod to fix your dairy/diary issue.

 

[Mr1cammando]

I have to point out one thing in a funny way. What does the Milk of a Denumer Beggar taste like? Or is there another Dairy product thought of in this instance? You could probaby ask Rayven or another mod to fix your dairy/diary issue.

Oh plops. I'm an idiot. Ah well. I'm just going to let this thread die anyway.

 

[Friday is My Day!]

Yeah, I think I'm over my head here, a bit too much effort for something so small. More fun just to play without having to report it all.

I agree with you there, man. Making a quality journal takes A LOT more time than you'd think, huh? Wooly just makes it look easy

I really wish I could keep my journal going, but I'd rather spend my time playing the game than spending hours writing like I did. Roleplaying with these restrictions is still 10 times more fun than rushing through the game like most people do though, in my opinion.