The Allure: You are in control

[Rimrald]

Welcome to The Allure, this is going to be my run at a reader driven story based with Elder Scrolls, lore set in Skyrim about a trio and their experience, trials, and tribulations. It will have a good amount of pictures to accompany sections to really bring the characters and their situations to life. Every so often there will be a set of situations presented and it will be up to you guys as a reader base to vote on which outcome you would like to see, majority rule will dictate which choice is played out; I know this is off of the normal 'choose your own adventure' but that's because I want to see how opinions clash and whose more light side dark side per say and to give a sense of actual control over the mortality of these characters.

 

TL:DR

Elder Scrolls based popular vote oriented outcomes

 

Intro/Backstory

The Allure is the tale of three young guardsmen in the Rift hold of Skyrim. Sirvar, Vidkring, and Jolgar all have grown up with in the hold, never having left Skyrim or experienced much outside of the hamlet in which they grew up but all have set out and joined the hold's guard with the civil war having erupted they joined for different reasons but their fate is all the same. So follow these three men for the sticky situations they will find them selves in, the people they will encounter, the decisions they will have to make and their fall from good nature; and their transformation to the underworld.

Sirvar

The eldest of the trio but the least time on the guard, at age 22 he has lived in Shor's Stone his whole life, previously a miner from the age of sixteen. He grew up with his mother and father helping them run the families farm but now with the outbreak of the war he has found himself motivated with the Stormcloak uprising against the dictation of the white-gold concordant he feels nothing can stop an army of 'true nords'. He currently is stationed at Shor's Watchtower.

Vidkring

A large 20 year old man from Vernim Wood, the old and previously abandoned Fort-Town has been in the process of rebuilding, after finishing with the guards quarters he felt bonded with the other men, having spent months in the town after coming for the promising pay he felt as if he was a townsman now, and having that connection he and another worker Jolgar decided to join the Rift Guard and subsequently have been assigned to Vernim Wood due to their new found acquaintance with its surroundings. He would not object and joined without batting an eye. He was not from this area and his home lay in Imperial territory, so returning to Whiterun was not in his mind.

Jolgar

The youngest of the group, at 17 years old this young man had only been in Vernim Wood for a few weeks, helping put the roof on the guards barracks, and helping out at the inn he found himself talking with the garrisons commander, Thane Rigger Shatter-Shield's housecarl, Rommir who saw the young mans hard work and sought him out along with Vidkring as he saw they made a good pair but he would not elude to it as not to fill the young ones head with air. Jolgar happily joined as he dreaded returning to Golden Glow and working it's farms once more, he hated bees and their cultivation.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Rimrald

[Rimrald]

Jolgar and Vidkring stood above the towns wrought iron gate on the stone walk way. Rain was falling lightly on the thatched roof. Jolgar was leaning on the banister peering out at the road as the mid-day sun caught the rain making a faint rainbow.

He remarked with a light scoff, "Never thought i'd see anything even resembling beauty out here."

"Well sometimes the divine shine upon us in odd ways."

Vidkring replied as he put a hand over his brow looking out at the road; scanning for any threats to the settlement. Last week a small pack of wolves attacked the miners right outside of the gate and the town guard has been on a higher alert since.

As the mid-day sun lazily arced across the sky it met the tree tops and began to vanish behind them, as Jolgar and Vidkring headed back for the barracks to hang up their weapons and dry off their lavender colored sashes that denote the hold they serve, the light purple color denoting The Rift. Rommir opened the door to the barracks and his brow raised as he looked at the two, Rommir put his hand to his chin for a moment and before stopping the duo saying.

"You two are just getting off of your shift?"

"Yes, going in to get some venison and dry off." Jolgar replied rubbing his stomach

"Well see to it you do, tomorrow I need you two in the hall, I have a task for you." He said holding the door open for them

The two simply nodded and moved inside and out of the rain as the wooden door smacked against the stone guard house making a loud crack. Jolgar braced himself with a support beam as he took his fur boots off, sufficiently soaked and heavy he opened the window and began ringing them out along with his purple sash. While Vidkring merely took his boots and sash off and lightly shook them before sitting them in front of the fire place and adding a log to the smoldering pile of ashes in an attempt to re-ignite the fire.

Jolgar appeared behind Vidkring with two small metal plates, presumably made of iron one loaded high with two venison chops, a potato some and some leeks. The other with a venison chop two chicken breasts and a small pouch full of salt, he offered out the plate with the small mountain of food on it to Vidkring then set his own down before getting two bottles of mead from a small table in the middle of the room, sitting flush against the support beam that ran from the second story down to the cellar below where the guards slept.

"What do you think he has for us?" Jolgar asked as he cut into his chicken

"Probably something simple like last time, go fetch something meaningless for the thane." He replied sipping his mead

"Maybe it will be something something with some excitement, that'd be nice for a change."

Vidkring chuckled at Jolgars words knowing well that it wouldn't be anything more exciting than chopping wood, but he felt it would be mean to crush the young ones hopes.

 

The stairs began to creak as Thilfar a fellow guard made his way down, coming off of the night shift he knocked his boot against the step above Jolgar's head and watched as some dirt fell onto his face, waking him suddenly as a small rock hit his mouth. Jolgar's eyes opened slowly and he raised a hand to block the sunlight as it beamed in through the windows, he peered over to his right to look for Vidkring but he was not in his bed. Sitting up he peered around the room but not Vidkring, then it hit him remembering the night before the housecarl wanted to see them. He quickly swung his legs to the side of the bed and reached for his boots, sliding them on heading out the door onto the street of Vernim Wood. Busy but quiet, the miners heading for the gate ti get an early start, the new shift of guards lazily making their way to the posts, the shop owners sweeping their stoops and a farmer or two pulling a small cart of produce to the town storage. He made his was across the street and to the steps that lead to the thane's hall. Quickly climbing them, splashing a few small puddles on his way up he met the large steel door, engraved with an intricate pattern of vines and tree's he pushed the large door open to see the housecarl and Vidkring sitting on a bench in front of the thanes throne, a servant passed him by carrying a small basket of food and vanished into the hallway. Vidkring and Rommir turned their heads and smiled, they knew fully Jolgar would be late, that's why he wanted the two to arrive early. Jolgar sat next to Vidkring and leaned forward so he could see Rommir as he spoke.

 

"Now that you are both present here is what I need from you two. The thane has requested a shipment of weapons from Sunguard City and their blacksmiths are finally done with the order, but with their town being directly on the bored with Whiterun hold they fear if they spare an exuberant amount of guards to adequately defend the shipment the city may come under attack in it's lessened state" He says rolling his eyes.

"Basically those lazy bastards don't want to pay any guards men to transport the weapons to us, so with payment included I ask of you two; head to Sunguard City, and return with the cart of weapons.. What do you say?"

Vidkring remains silent as he looks to Jolgar, the two share a look for a moment before Jolgar says

"How much are we getting paid?"

Vidkring cracks a smile and laughs a bit.

"Well for agreeing to take on the task, 100 septims each. Then if you return with the entirety of the order another 350 septims each. Hows that sound?"

Jolgar looks to Vidkring and shrugs, then Vidkring turns and leans on arm on the pew like bench saying

"Sure, you got yourself two delivery boys"

Rommir smiles warmly and says "I knew you two would come through for me, if you didn't take the assignment who knows what it would've cost to pay a group of mercenaries whom you can't even trust to bring them here."

Vidkring still poised on the bench says "Ok so do you have a map, and the order so I can make sure we get everything?"

Rommir nods before opening a small satchel slung across his chest and produces the order with the thanes seal, a map of the hold with the shortest route gone over several times with ink and holds them forward.

"Thanks, now let us grab some supplies. Shouldn't be gone more than two days at most Rommir." Vidkring says while putting the map and order into his boot.

Rommir nods and stands leaving the room as the duo opens the large ornate door and heads for the market area.

Vidking and Jolgar approach a table in the market area with only a candle and some tools on it which they brush aside and lay their packs out on the table.

The two close up their bags and sling them and head down the muddy road following the map that Vidkring has his face buried in, the morning sun casts their shadows as they make the trek to Sunguard city.

 

They arrive at the city gates just before sundown, the city walls hide the lowering sun behind the great rigid towers as the two look on at the spectacle that is the city. But it is quickly interrupted by the guard out front of the bridge shouting at them to stop.

"Halt! Who goes there?!"

"Vidkring and Jolgar, from Vernim Wood!" Jolgar calls back

The guard approaches them hand on her weapon

"What brings you all the way to Sunguard?" She says looking them over as if they aren't really guards

Vidkring produces the order form for the weapons and holds it forward. "This is what we have been sent to get."

The female guard opens the letter and briefly scans it saying "Oh that cart of weapons has been sitting here for weeks!"

She hands the letter back and motions for them to follow her as the gate rolls upward and the three enter. The sun now hidden by the walls of the city, shop keepers and craftsmen begin to light their lanterns and a priestess lights the candles around the large Talos statue in the small square as a few sit on its stoop and pray.

The female guard kicks the large wagon, large crates with the holds seal on them are stacked in the wagon, some smaller baskets full of arrows are strapped onto the side supports and a few bows are hung bundled together with twine.

"The horse to draw this cart is over there" She points across the stone paved road at the small stable next to the inn, a snow white horse is latched to the hitching post.

"Feel free to take it whenever, but let me warn you. The roads out here at night are very dangerous.. Being on the border of two holds that support the imperials makes for harassment at night."

"Like what do they do?" Jolgar asks

The female guard shoots him a look before saying "Like set fire to our farms, rob our supply shipments, cause all kinds of trouble without an all out fight. They even do it in the broad daylight too!"

"Well thanks for the wisdom." Vidkring says as he looks over the cart, then he looks to Jolgar and says

"So how do you want to play this? We can wait till morning and risk getting caught in a raid party when we leave. Or we can leave with the cover of night. Maybe buy some rugs and disguise the shipment as a big thing of hay, and follow this alternate road. It'll be a bit longer but looks like it avoids the border"

==== Decision Time ====

Please click this link to a POLL as to what you would rather see the two do

 

Option 1: Leave during the day. 50/50 shot on a Dice roll that they get caught in a raid or they make it away from the city scot free

 

Option 2: Leave during the night. Longer route but it is away from the border, plus spend money on disguise of cargo 30/70 shot they encounter creatures or make it away scot free

Edited August 4, 2015 by Rimrald