Frizan

RPGC #18: Adventure Calls - Discussion

Feel free to direct any feedback or questions here! Please keep discussion relevant to the associated contest. All other Guild posting rules also apply.

RPGC #18: Adventure Calls - Prompt and Entries

Adventure Calls

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The clouds of April have dispersed, giving way for the bright and warm May sun. The grass and the trees begin to regrow, nourished by the sun's intense rays. Temperatures are rising, doing away with the need for prohibitive jackets and heavy coats, and daylight reaches long into the afternoon. So much you could do, and all the time in the world to do it. Why not get a little...adventurous? Climb those mountains, swim those rivers, and walk paths untrodden by man or beast. Set your sights high, and climb higher!

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Contest Rules

1. This contest will be about physical journeys, and the main character(s) should find themselves traversing several areas to reach their destination. What they find along the way and at the end is entirely up to the writer.

2. Characters must have coherent reasons for them to be going on their journey.

3. Please be descriptive of the characters' surroundings. Give the reader a bright and clear picture of what you want to show them.

4. Please title your entries!

Grounds for disqualification

1. Plagiarism.

2. Your entry having no clear connection to the prompt.

3. Gratuitous violence or gore.

4. Explicit sex scenes. Fade to black is fine.

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Please submit your entry here in the Prompt and Entries thread by Thursday, May 24th. Direct all questions and feedback to my PM box or the associated Discussion thread, and I will gladly answer them.

Please hold off all votes and critiques until the proper thread has been erected for this prompt.

RPGC: Trophy Case

The Winner of RPGC# 17: Singing in the Rain

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Silver Linings by @Mattchstick

"Huh, so it begins again," a certain man said aloud to no one as he stood on the sidewalk and glanced up at the sky. The gentle blue was being rapidly hidden by grey and black clouds, signalling the start of yet another rain storm. For you see, it was always raining here. The Sunless City, some called it. Statistically, it was very much like any other modern city; dense buildings, costly housing, and terrible traffic at certain hours of the day. It would have been a decent enough place to live if not for the weather. Some liked the rain. Some did not. Almost none liked it for at least three hundred days every year. Take into account the lightning strikes and occasionally power outages, it was not a very happy place to live, and more than a few struggled with retaining happiness.

The man on the sidewalk was not one such person. He saw past the clouds to the cheery sun that was still glowing overhead, and anyone within earshot would invariable hear a "silver lining" to whatever situations and storms had come on that particular day. Not a single thing had happened in his life that he had not found a way to look over or around to it eventually dissipating.

He was not a particularly fortunate man at that. He was merely a blue-collar worker with a simple job, one that he had retained for going on forty years. He lived alone in a small house with just enough income to pay the rent and feed himself, yet he managed to stay positive. This was a trait that had followed him from the womb, since his name was, of all things, Bartholomew Goodheart.

Anyway, dear Bartholomew had been on a morning stroll to enjoy a rare sunny day. There were still puddles and dripping eaves, but at least the glinting rays gave the water a lovely golden shimmer. He had glanced up at the bright blue expanse with a twinkle in his eye and had given it a proper smile.

"Huh, a good bit of sun in the city. Pleasant change, it is," he said in his strange form of speak. As usual, a passerby gave him a strange look for a moment before continuing on their way, phone pressed to ear as they engaged in a bitter conversation. Bartholomew watched them pass, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah well, there's a silver lining. At least the man is being productive. More so than myself, I should say."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the clouds began to return to their place. The man audibly grumbled as he attempted to open an umbrella without hanging up his phone.

"Ah well, at least ye have an umbrella," Bartholomew called to him, showing the man his empty hands. All he had was a brown leather jacket and ragged pants, as he had left his own umbrella at home. The other fellow rolled his in a most rude manner and scurried away. The first of many raindrops splattered the shoulder of his jacket as he began to walk back across town. He had traveled some distance, you see, and was not within running distance of his place of residence, and so he did not bother. He hummed a tune that was almost impossible to hear, now that the rain was in full force.

"Ah well, at least there's no lightning," he said.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a brilliant bolt of electricity flashed across the sky, soon accompanied by a deep roar of thunder.

"Ah well, at least it's air-lightning," he said.

A moment later, a similar bolt flickered through the sky, drawn to a rod on a nearby building. It crackled loudly, causing him to wince ever so slightly.

"Ah well, at least we have the lightning-poles to keep it away from the ground," he said, increasing his pace.

To his surprise, a third bolt of lightning tore its way through the air and hit a nearby street lamp, causing the bulb to for a fraction of a second glow brightly before bursting into a shower of glass fragments.

"Ah well," Bartholomew said after a long pause, making a turn and heading into the last straight towards his residence. "At least I'm within eye-shot of home and heat."

He jumped as a car zoomed by him, swerving across the road and, to no one's surprise but his own, crashed directly into his house. A large portion of the car was now occupying his living room. The engine came to an abrupt halt and, with a grunt, the driver shoved the door open and climbed out, apparently unharmed. Bartholomew nodded at him in approval.

"Ah well, at least the driver's not hurt."

The driver looked down at his stomach, turned very pale, and collapsed dead on the pavement. Bartholomew stood still for a moment, then shrugged.

"Ah well, at least the car can be towed. Shan't be an easy repair but it's only a building after all."

A quiet crackle came from the vehicle as a loose wire in Bartholomew's home sparked, making contact with the gaseous fumes that had been spilling into his house from the now empty tank beneath the car. With a brilliant glow that would make the sun ever so slightly jealous, the house erupted in flames.

At this point, one would likely stop pressing their fate and perhaps seek shelter elsewhere. Bartholomew Goodheart was no such man. Absolutely refusing to turn aside his stance from five or six consecutive coincidences, he spoke again:

"Ah well, at least I've got a little money in me pocket."

"Oh?" a harsh voice said beside him. He turned and found himself facing a man in a hoodie who had just emerged from a nearby alleyway. He had covered half his face with a scarf and was wielding a rather large pistol that was aimed in the direction of Mr. Goodsoul's head.

"Hand it over. Now."

Bartholomew raised his hands in surrender, then slowly removed his wallet and tossed it to the man, who scooped it up and shoved it into a pocket. He turned to retreat into the alley as a voice called to him.

"Ah well, at least I've got good health."

The robber turned back around in surprise, still waving the gun haphazardly. He was a rather inexperienced sort of robber and, as a result, did not have the safety engaged. He shot Bartholomew in the leg, causing him to collapse to the ground in a poorly-placed puddle. Wincing in pain and grabbing the injured limb, Bartholomew searched his mind for a good thing to find about this situation. He admitted that he was running short on them by now. The robber was still standing nearby in shock, seemingly unsure of whether he should run or call for help before his victim bled to death. Bartholomew caught sight of him and forced a smile.

"Ah well," he said weakly. "At least I've only been shot once."

The robber shot him again for, at this point, no real reason. Somewhere deep inside Bartholomew, an organ exploded.

Aware that he likely only had minutes to live, the poor man uttered one final positive observation. One that absolutely could not be altered. One that was so conclusive that it was at this point in history no more than a joke.

"Ah well...at least...Hitler is dead."

The robber paused, then lowered his gun and removed his hood and scarf. Bartholomew's eyes widened in shock as he saw a familiar cut of hair and mustache, one that had not been seen for many years. The man grinned an evil grin, staring him down with dark, sinister eyes. He said the last word Bartholomew Goodheart would ever hear:

"NEIN!"

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

I've started working on my character sheet, and was also taking a peek at everyone else's characters. So, I was wondering if diversifying was better or should I make my character as I wish and not worry if I'm like... archer number 5 or something. ^_^;

*thinking*

@Greenie

Not a GM but while characters with unique skillsets are encouraged, if it makes more sense for the character you've created to specialize in archery, blade, sneak etc. that's fine. If a skill gets too saturated, the GMs will publicly announce what skills future characters cannot specialize in. GCold did this in Chapter 1 for a couple of skills, but that didn't come for a very long time.

RPGC #17: Singing in the Rain - Voting and Critique

Voting period has reached its end! I thank everyone for participating in the contest!

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

Piper Speculatus, Imperial Knightess

Piper Speculatus

Female Imperial | 25 | The Lord

Profile

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§ Birthplace

Imperial City, Cyrodil

§ Appearance

There's no mistaking Piper for anything other than an Imperial woman. She is of average Imperial height with shoulders slightly broader than Sagax's, is quite slender and, much to her chagrin, shapely, with few scars or blemishes to spare. Her sharp emerald irises and large eye shape she gets from her father, but Piper has inherited Equa's auburn locks and thin lips. She wears her shoulder-length hair loose aside from two side-braids. Piper has developed more muscle mass than her brother thanks to her smithing hobby and continued training in heavy armors and with blades, and that is not something she is ashamed to flaunt, though she could still be classed as "pretty" at the very least. If she looked more like a Nord or was simply uglier and had more scars, people would see past her looks and respect her more...or at least, so believes Piper, and so she prefers covering herself up in her armor whenever possible to hide her figure.

§ Motivations and Outlook

Take most things Sagax is, turn them around, and you've got Piper. A misanthropic, untrusting Imperial with a temper and knowledge of martial combat, it's a good idea to at least not be registered as an enemy. She cares not for boastful stories of supposedly-great triumphs or victories, and would much rather just be left alone. Much more reserved than Sagax, she will only rarely seek others out for conversation or small-talk, but more often than not she will only talk with others if there is something that has to be said.

Piper herself has lost some faith in her gods, though she still prays to them all in equal proportions, even if she feels that she is ignored. Unlike Sagax's subscription to Mara's "love for all", Piper believes that those that harm the innocent and kill indiscriminately are fair game for Stendarr's righteous might, and has no qualms about putting down the various kinds of villains that stalk the lands of Tamriel. Her brother believes this stance to be "extreme", but Piper puts little stock in Sagax's naivete and ignorance of how the world truly works; he would nurse a mass murderer if the bastard got a nasty cut from his victim before they passed.

Due to her perceptions on how being respected and being taken seriously ought to work, Piper takes offense to compliments about her looks, and will challenge any man or woman in one-on-one combat to prove her mettle to them...but mostly to herself. Compliments on her martial prowess, however, make her silently prideful, and more often than not she unknowingly wears a ridiculous grin, which is where her helmet comes in handy. She has great respect and even greater envy for well-regarded warriors, and will often try to mimic them, with varying degrees of success and humiliation.

§ Background

Sweat, Blood and Steel

On the twenty-eighth of Rain's Hand, Sagax's mother, Equa, gave birth to a second child; specifically, a daughter. Equa and Caius decided to name her Piper, as she was very fussy and troublesome on her way out into the world. Her name would fit her further later in life, as after the incident on the Waterfront and the false imprisonment of her father, Piper would lose much faith in those outside of her family and viewed others with peppery disdain. Whenever Sagax or Equa would talk about maybe still having friends in the city, Piper would simply snort dismissively and retort that everyone had already forgotten about their family, and if they hadn't, they were untrustworthy swines and bastards. Her attitude would cool eventually after being taken in by Varulae, but the ever-glaring Imperial would always harbor some misanthropic feelings, and it took her a long time to be able to converse easily with the generous Altmer that gave her family a new home.

While Sagax was out running packages and letters, Piper was putting time into her combat abilities and taking pay as a store guard for the various shops in the Market District. The shopkeeps knew who she was, and a few turned her down at the door, though even the ones who didn't were still very cautious about her working in their stores and would often send her home hours before her shift was supposed to end. The involuntary free time that was shoved in her face gave her take more opportunities to practice with her blade. Training on her own against stationary dummies eventually lost its usefulness, and Piper needed to find someone to actually teach her further. Holding on to the slim chance that maybe one of her father's old friends was still in the service, the anxious woman made her way to the Watch barracks. Steeling herself for the harshest words she could imagine, Piper opened the door and stepped inside. To her surprise, her ears were not met with angry shouting and vile accusations, but with a well-mannered greeting from one of the off-duty guards, who Piper later learned was one Aquillius Marius. Even more surprising: the man knew her by name. Apparently Varulae had told some of her own close friends that Piper's family had resurfaced, literally. When he asked what she wanted, Piper responded with a request for combat training. It was agreed that she would start tomorrow evening after Aquillius' shift.

Day after day, Piper would meet Aquillius in the Arena District; it had the most space for practice and plenty of training tools for aspiring fighters. Piper started off with basic sword-and-shield techniques, which she already had some experience with, and worked her way up with the help of the guardsman's supervision. She learned how to angle a shield to deflect sword blows away from her, where to hold one to maximize protection against ranged weapons, and how to use a shield in conjunction with the longsword, Piper's arm of choice. Then came the heavy armor training, which tested and forcefully extended the limits of her endurance. It took her a while to get used to how to move in heavy armor, and would frequently exhaust herself. She had a patient teacher, though, and he stuck with Piper until she got the hang of it. Her training took about half a year, though she continued practicing with Aquillius for another few months, at which point he felt he taught the raring lass all he could as a soldier. All that was left was for Piper to learn how to maintain her gear, and to that end he directed her to Uradras Dreleth. He was once a Redoran blacksmith, or so the old Mer told those that sought his services, though reportedly all questions about his origins and why he came to Cyrodiil were either shot down or ignored entirely. Whatever the case, Aquillius assured Piper that she could learn a lot from Dreleth, and that he wished her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

Uradras, Piper learned very quickly, was not as nice and polite as Aquillius. When she told him why she was in shop, he started yelling about how he wasn't taking any apprentices and that "you damned people need to mind your own business!" The mentioning of Aquillius didn't exactly make the grouch apologetic, but at least he stopped his angry rambling. He waved Piper over to his forge impatiently and began showing Piper the basics. Thankfully, as much of a grumpy coot as Uradras was, he was an even better teacher. Under his very critical wing, Piper learned how to sharpen a blade, buff out dents in armor, and all other manner of techniques a warrior in the field would need. Surprise of all surprises, when her initial training was done, the crotchety Dunmer actually expressed a meager amount of approval with how well she took to everything. Sensing that perhaps Piper had a talent for the craft, Uradras offered to teach her further as his pupil, a position that had apparently been reopened in the few days it took for the Imperial to learn the basics. Not seeing her very unsteady job as a store guard going any where, Piper of course took his offer. Immediately upon her acceptance, Dreleth shoved the hammer back into Piper's hand and lead her through the steps to making her very first piece: An iron dirk that she keeps to this day.

Learning the intricacies of the art of smithing under Uradras was hard and tiring work. He was very quick and simple with his lessons, never spending very long on anything, so Piper had to learn just as quickly. He was also an incredibly critical teacher, with the Mer somehow finding faults with every single bend of the metal, and Piper would often come home long after the sun vanished from the sky having spent a lot of time correcting her myriad of mistakes. Though she would hit her pillow night after night with arms sore and eyes burning, Piper found an odd enjoyment in her work. She could forget everything else and focus entirely on the metal she was working with, each consecutive strike of her hammer coming together to form a hypnotic rhythm. What really took an hour of hammering and forging felt like minutes to her, and her intense focus greatly amused Uradras, who said that Piper had a "resting s'wit face" when she really got into her work. She spent the next four years under Dreleth's employ and tutelage, both honing her craft and making decent money repairing and forging arms and armor for their customers. As one last trial of mastery, the old elf gave Piper his final orders as her tutor: forge a set of steel plate armor and a shield, fit for a knight. Setting her hammer to metal at once, Piper worked with Uradras watching closely, who shockingly said not a word. The most she got out of her tutor was a short grunt of approval when she finally finished the cuirass. Setting all the pieces out on a nearby table, Piper herself could hardly believe that she was the one that made it all. It was the first time in a while since she smiled with any energy. The last word from her tutor that she would ever hear rang out with audible happiness: "Finally!"

Piper came home gushing with pride, telling everyone about everything she had made and how great of a teacher Uradras was; no one had seen her quite so happy before, and she sorely wished her brother was there so she could show him her craftsmanship. That smile would vanish the next morning when she went back to the workshop to continue her work on other pieces. Instead of Uradras meeting her at the door with his usual impatient "you were almost late!" speech, it was his daughter Undena, watery-eyed and mournful. Undena told Piper that during the night, her father's heart finally gave out on him, and Uradras died in his sleep. Piper couldn't believe what she was hearing, she had spoken to the Mer barely twelve hours prior, and he seemed fine, though he did retire earlier than usual. After offering her condolences to the grieving daughter of her master, Piper was invited into the home; apparently Uradras had left something for her. In her father's room, Undena had found a small journal with a stack of letters stuffed inside, and emblazoned on the front cover was a strange red beetle which she explained was the insignia of the Great House Redoran of Morrowind. The note that was found next to the journal on the night-stand read "Reminder to self: Give letters to the Speculatus family, and perhaps share what's in my old journal.", and scribbled at the bottom was something about "Caius being so damned overly cautious". Piper didn't have a single idea about what Uradras meant. Caius? As in, her father Caius? Her father never even spoke of Uradras, though, or of any of the Dreleth family. The contents of the journal and letters didn't help things: They were written in Dunmeris, though there was one thing she could decipher: An elegant "C" was written at the end of some of the letters. It was all very confusing, and she wasn't quite in the mood to chase ghosts at that point in time. Besides, she thought it better to give Undena time to grieve before digging into her dead father's past, and instead retrieved her armor, wished the best for Undena, and went back home. It had felt like such a short four years, and Uradras was gone already. While they weren't super best friends or anything, Piper greatly appreciated the time the old Mer spent in teaching her, even during the times she seem to have proved useless. Before leaving for Skyrim, Piper forged a medallion, using the symbol on Uradras' journal as a guide for getting the details down for the Redoran beetle. She continues to wear this medallion as a sign of respect for her late master and it is plainly visible when Piper is out of her armor.
Perhaps it wasn't just Sagax's leaving and her concern for his safety that fueled Piper's decision to follow her brother to Skyrim. She knew that there were multitudes of Dunmer in the northern province, thanks to the Red Year, and at least one of them had to still know the language of their own kind. She wanted to know what was so important in those letters that Uradras was apparently sworn to secrecy by some mysterious "C". If not her father Caius, then who? Piper didn't have a great feeling about the contents of the letters, but something more than vain curiosity gnawed at her, as if she felt like she would learn some great truth if those old bits of paper were made readable. Well, even if she couldn't translate the letters, she still needed to make sure Sagax came home in one piece. That man would throw himself into an Orc berserker for the fun of it.

Capabilities

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§ Attributes

Major Endurance
Minor Strength

§ Skills

Expert: None
Adept: Smithing, Shield, Heavy Armor, One-Handed
Apprentice: Communication, Tailoring, Medicine
Novice: Hand to Hand, Alchemy

§ Weaknesses

Utter magical inability: For whatever reason, Piper just cannot seem to get a handle on magic. Varulae on several occasions tried teaching her some basic healing spells, but nothing ever came of it. Same for destruction spells, alteration spells, and all other spells the High Elf knew of; Piper is a martial combatant, not magical, and that's the end of it.
Insensitive: Piper can come across as rather cold and uncaring to the everyday passerby, and its very easy for her to offend without meaning to. This naturally makes it quite difficult for her to make many allies.
Poor Balance: Unfortunately, Piper does not share Sagax's uncanny ability to always stay on his feet. Though her armor helps in anchoring her, given the right amount of force, Piper can be toppled relatively easily.
Insecure: Having no real experience being outside of the Imperial City nor in live combat, deep down Piper doubts her supposed hardiness, so to prove to herself that she can handle the outside world she may lash out at those who criticize her abilities, even if all they may be doing is providing helpful advice. This insecurity hampers her ability to receive and absorb helpful information, and Piper will keep at something even if it's clear she could be doing it better.

§ Spells

None.

§ Tactics

One could describe Piper's method of fighting as "Aggressively Defensive". Steadily advancing on her foe while her shield and armor deflect blows, Piper will strike out from behind her shield with heavy thrusts, alternating with swift cuts if her opponent is nimble. She will use her shield to try and knock her foe off balance, either by charging into them or simply hitting them with the front, as if she were punching. She operates as an anchor, an obstacle one must engage before getting to her squishier allies.

§ Relations & Affiliations

Equa Speculatus - Mother
Caius Speculatus - Father
Sagax Speculatus - Brother
Varulae - Family friend

§ Opinions

Sagax: She loves the man dearly, but her brother can be so hard-headed in the worst ways, and not to mention his gods-damned hero complex. She just hopes he doesn't injure himself too seriously saving a lost puppy or whatever the hell he's prone to do.

Roze: Piper didn't know her long. All of ten minutes, actually, and those first and last minutes painted Roze as a massive bitch. But she can see just from her brother's body language that he is incredibly distraught by the Breton's death. No smile paints his face, his eyes lay almost half closed, and his step is oddly...flat. No energy to his movements at all.

Piper didn't leave with the greatest first impression of Rozalia, but could she have really been so bad if Sagax held her so close to his heart? She would probably never know for certain. All she can do now is support her brother through this dark time. After all, that's what family is supposed to do.

Wylendriel: Saved Piper's life from a massive undead beast...but she's also a bosmer. Ugly little thing with those crazy eyes that wood elves have. Passes herself off as a priestess, but Piper's not sure she buys the act. As long as the elf keeps those teeth away from her, she'll tolerate Wylendriel.

§ Other

Strong Back: Her training in and continued usage of heavy armor has conditioned Piper's body for carrying large loads, and she can carry many things for a good distance before needing to rest.

Inventory

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§ Cash

20 gold coins

§ Keys & Lockpicks

None

§ Tools & Crafting Materials

A smithing hammer, whetstone, and a steel ingot

§ Clothing & Armor

Piper's everyday attire consists of black cotton trousers with a leather belt, basic leather boots and a gray cotton long-sleeved shirt, with her blacksmithing apron and leather gloves on top of that when working. The medallion she crafted is always around her neck, and she watches it like a hawk. Over Piper's normal attire is her steel armor, crafted in her master's workshop just a day before his passing. The aesthetic of the armor itself is distinctly Cyrodillic, like the kind you'd find in illustrations of knights in popular fiction. A "bucket" helmet completes the set, resting atop a chainmail coif.

§ Weapon & Ammo

Steel longsword, an iron dirk and a teardrop shield, emblazoned with the signet of the Imperial Dragon

§ Potion & Arcane Supplies

Two potions of healing, and two potions of stamina

§ Jewelry & Valuables

Redoran amulet crafted in memory of Uradras Dreleth

§ Books & Documents

Uradras' journal and the letters of correspondence to a mysterious person known only as "C", all written in Dunmeris

§ Food/Drinks/Ingredients

Water canteen, four slices of dried meat, and three pieces of hardtack

§ Load Bearing Equipment

A large backpack, and a harness consisting of four pouches she attaches to her cuirass

§ Other

One fur bedroll, a bar of soap and two wash rags, and a torch

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

Sagax Speculatus, Imperial Runner

Sagax Speculatus

Male Imperial | 29 | The Tower

Profile

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§ Place of Birth

Imperial City, Cyrodil

§ Appearance

Sagax is hardly an imposing figure, standing slightly shorter than your average Imperial with quite narrow shoulders and emerald eyes. He is thin enough that several people have given him worried glances, while in truth, he simply only eats what he absolutely must which leaves little meat to build on his bones; surviving on nothing during his teen years has given him the habit of rationing every morsel he has, though his experience with scaling walls and buildings gives him a little bit of visible muscle. Sagax used to wear his hair long enough to cover his eyes, but dear sister did away with that; now it is short and neat(er than before). Efforts to grow facial hair prove woefully unsuccessful. The man's body is littered with cuts, scars and smudges, and as of the siege of Windhelm, streaking burn marks over his arms and his upper body, reaching onto his neck slightly. Sagax accumulated the rest of his injuries from screwing up and losing his footing during deliveries and missing a grab when climbing in his childhood, getting into scuffs with animals making a bid for the same food as him, and other such mundane activities.

§ Motivations and Outlook

Sagax is a very passive and agreeable fellow, the kind of man who would rather be at the sidelines instead of in everyone's face. He enjoys listening to the stories of his comrades and adventurers who pass him by, despite how true they may be, and will very seldom interrupt a good tale. He believes that there is always more to see in the world, and that is what drives him and keeps him hopeful for that one day that will grant him the power to free his father and give his family a better life.

Sagax is not a man that is easily angered, as very little is prone to set him off. Even the mention of his father, positive or otherwise, simply fills him with confidence that he will be able to secure Caius's freedom. Even in dire situations, he attempts to keep a cheerful disposition and boost the morale of his mates, despite what he may be really feeling. Sagax also trusts easily, always giving people the benefit of the doubt, and often makes the effort to talk with people he doesn't quite know yet; he is good at taking hints though, he will not push a subject further than the person will allow or feels comfortable with.

He will sometimes offer solutions to problems that crop up, and will more often than not lean toward the path of least bloodshed, leading some within the company to label Sagax as a "milk-drinker". He doesn't let this stop him though. Sagax refuses to let petty name calling get the better of him. Deep down inside, however, he can feel something changing. Something dark starting to surface, and he fears that at some point he will lose control of it.

§ Background

I was a kid running messages...

Sagax was born a full-blooded Imperial on the seventh of First Seed 4E 176 in the capital city to a dockworker and a guard captain living in the Elven Gardens District. His name had no distinct connection to what he was like as a very young child, but his parents were both very proud of their Imperial roots, and also believed that people would grow live up to the meanings of their names in adulthood, so Sagax supposes that they chose the name because they liked the idea of a "keen", energetic son. When he was three years old, on the twenty-eighth of Rain's Hand, Sagax's mother, Equa, gave birth to a second child; specifically, a daughter. Little Piper and Sagax became inseparable over the years, much to the joy(and relief) of their parents. Without any real sibling rivalry happening, Equa and Caius, Sagax and Piper's father, could work knowing that everything would still be relatively the same by the time they got home. Not that the two would stay in the house, though. In fact, by the time that Sagax and Piper were ten and seven respectively, it would be rare not to find them wandering the city.

Sagax enjoyed scaling the many buildings in the districts, and would sometimes feign a slip to scare Piper. He learned to stop those shenanigans when Piper began tossing rocks near him, but never quite hitting her target, whenever she thought Sagax was faking a slip, prompting him to latch back on to whatever ledge he was gripping whether he was going to or not. Piper would always ask around the market district or the docks if she could help out in any way, often conscripting Sagax as well, not that he really minded; he hated having nothing to do. Their main odd jobs usually consisted of package-running for the merchants or putting up advertisement posters for their shops. Sagax was easily the faster of the two, but also easily distracted, always stopping for something before being pushed back on track by Piper. She was always timely and organized in stark contrast to her almost bumbling brother; if not for Piper, Sagax wouldn't have gotten anything done at all. Their differences is what made their bond stronger though, both realizing that the other had skills that they didn't. Piper and Sagax could work in perfect tandem, always getting their jobs done, albeit not always in the efficient manner that Piper would have preferred.

At thirteen, Sagax's father decided that it was time to teach him how to use a blade. Caius deeply wanted Sagax to carry on the family ways, serving the empire and its people faithfully, and prepared his son by tutoring him in the art of combat early. It took only two lessons for Piper, who before then had simply watched, to haughtily announce that she could learn to use swords just as well as Sagax, and demanded that she be allowed to participate. Equa protested initially, worried for her daughter's safety, but soon gave in to Caius's reassurences that Piper would be perfectly fine, and that such tutoring would be very useful to her. Piper took well to what her father taught her, quickly catching up to Sagax in skill, but it wasn't until Caius permitted Sagax and Piper to spar together that Piper was able to display her greater prowess. Piper, while not as quick as Sagax, could maneuver herself much better and could land more strikes. Sagax's abilities lied more with dodging and parrying, and he simply couldn't get the timing down for actually swinging and landing a hit. Whenever he went to strike, Piper would smack his blade to the side and counter-attack, but sometimes if he could feint correctly Sagax could cause Piper to lose her balance. Despite their respective shortcomings, Caius was quite pleased with Sagax and Piper's capabilities, and truly believed that they could become masters if they kept with their training. These sessions continued for a few years, and the children would sometimes spar on their own, slowly but steadily increasing their skill over time.

Life was normal, if not happy, for the next five or so years, but only a month after Piper's fifteenth birthday, the Speculatus family was ripped apart. A riot had broken out in the slums over the guards being directly ordered to collect on the taxes of the disenfranchised that lived there. Caius was called to calm the situation and appease the angry crowd, but it only went horribly wrong from there. The mob began attacking the guards surrounding the perimeter, and Caius gave the order to form up and push them back. Instead, some of the guards openly retaliated, and the situation escalated incredibly quickly, with Caius losing control of his men. He shouted to back down but few listened, and what was meant to be a containment procedure turned into a slaughter, with several dead and others sustaining heavy injuries.

Under heavy pressure by the council and the press, the shamed guard captain faced a disciplinary hearing ending with him being stripped of his rank and sentenced to death. The press spun the story to be that Caius had ordered the attack on the mob when confronted peacefully, shattering the reputation of the Speculatus family and causing several good friends of the family to fall out. Even those that believed Caius to be innocent and knew the story feared retribution if they dared to continue to cohort with the Speculatus family, and left them to their own devices. Equa was fired from her job as a dockworker, though it was mostly for her own safety given the proximity of the port to the slums, and had then received an eviction letter a day later, a sort of covert way for those in the slums to feel as though they had achieved some kind of retribution and making them complacent. Equa, Sagax, and Piper were left with no income, no home, and very few friends. No one would let them live in their homes, nor did they dare go to the slums to seek refuge. They spent the following years living in the sewers and on the outskirts of the city surviving on rat and mudcrab meat and water from the lake.

It was during these years living in the sewers that required Sagax to learn the art of lockpicking, while Piper killed rats with whatever rusty piece of junk she could find that could even conceivably be used as a weapon, being the more combat-proficient of the group. He had a very rough beginning, with the only source of lockpicks coming from the rare ones that dropped through the sewer grates above them, lost by their unscrupulous owners passing by, and a source that was quite suspect to Sagax: Neat groupings of two to three lockpicks that were too conveniently placed to have been dropped unknowingly that found their way to the grate that Sagax and Piper used to get topside. Sagax was relived to know that the Speculatus family still had allies, though he did not know who. He suspected some of his father's old friends, or perhaps even the Thieve's Guild. Regardless of whoever these friends were, Sagax was grateful, and he set out practicing immediately. Throughout the sewers Sagax found ancient wooden trunks left by their owners to one day recollect, but had obviously been forgotten. Most of them had simply had their lids smashed open to get the goods inside, leaving the locks untouched, and even the ones that were intact had only a few gold pieces and nothing more, but it was still good practice. It took him almost a year to get the craft down, breaking many lockpicks in the process, but Sagax finally had enough skill to warrant being confident. He began his first foray into outright thievery at nineteen, using the sewer entrances to the shops above to acquire things his family would need below. He felt ashamed, having to resort to crime to stay afloat, and hypothetical scenes of his father's words played in his mind, but deep down he knew that it had to be this way. He knew that the merchants above wouldn't deal with him directly, nor did he have anything to barter with. Sagax took only what he had to, mostly loaves of bread and the odd cure disease potion, ensuring that his activities went mostly unnoticed. His only major theft was an iron longsword for Piper, and from what Sagax heard it went reported but the guards gave merely a half-hearted investigation, only checking the main entrance to the sewers and going no further before turning back. He didn't know if the guards were just lazy or if they were intentionally turning a blind eye, but the only thing that mattered to him was that his mother and sister were safe and that Piper finally had a real weapon to use.

Sagax's "spree" went on for six years until he was actually caught. He had snuck into the local potions shop to find a healing potion, as Piper had sustained quite a large gash from a mudcrab's pincers, where the owner, an altmer woman named Varulae Saderin, was waiting for him. She had hid on the staircase, a wall separating it from the rest of the room, and announced her presence as Sagax was half way way back to the sewers. Varulae implored Sagax to stay a moment, and said that she simply wanted to talk to him. Sagax stood close by to the sewer entrance, hand to the knob, but listened out of curiosity, wondering what scathing words were about to be flung this way. To his great surprise, Varulae was very sympathetic to Sagax and his family, and revealed many others were as well. She explained that many of the Speculatus family's allies were too afraid to intervene in the sentencing of Caius, fearful of being lambasted and outcasted. Most people simply followed the story that the papers wrote, and believed that Caius ordered the attack on the slums, leaving the rest to suffer the effects of rather violent peer pressure. She speculated that the council had a hand in how the story was reported, and wanted to appear as though they took a hard stance against corruption in the Imperial City watch and dealt with the root of the problem. As the years passed, however, tension had died down and the incident was hardly more than a bitter memory to most. Now, those loyal to the family were fully willing to assist them, and Varulae even insisted that Sagax and his sister and mother stay with her in the upstairs quarters. Sagax, extremely grateful for the offer, accepted, to the joy of the jovial high elf. He fetched Piper and Equa and Varulae led them upstairs, where a guest room was available.

Too small for all three of them, Sagax offered to clear out some space in the cellar and stay there, but Piper angrily protested, mostly stung with pride and love for her brother hearing him offering to sleep in some cold, dark basement while she and mother stayed upstairs comfortably in actual beds. They eventually compromised: They would all sleep in the same room despite the crampedness, but since the room was too small for three beds, a small mat would be placed in the middle of the room where one of the two of them(neither Piper nor Sagax would hear a word of their mother offering to give up her bed) would swap places and sleep every other night. Sagax insisted that Piper be the first person in the rotation to sleep on the bed under the reasoning that she had been far more active, hunting rats and mudcrubs, so she needed more restful sleep. She begrudgingly complied, but only after heavily inspecting Sagax's bedding, ensuring that he would just as comfortable as she would be sleeping in the bed. As much as she loved the stubborn bastard, Sagax's tendency to give up certain comforts out of some misguided sense of self sacrifice even though he could easily have them just as she and mother did greatly irritated Piper, and Sagax knew this. It was fun to see her get mad sometimes, though.

Under the employment of Varulae, Sagax found himself in the exact same position as he was several years ago, being a messenger and delivery boy, though Equa and Piper went through some pleasant changes in employment. Piper started offering herself as a shop guard to any merchant who would have her, and their mother took up Varulae's craft to assist her in the business. Of course, much to Piper's frustration(and Sagax's endless amusement), Sagax refused most pay, only accepting compensation for significantly laborious or dangerous tasks, which did not come often. For the most part though, the remaining family enjoyed a stable living. This, though, was not enough for Sagax. Not only did he wish for his sister and mother to be able to live comfortably in a home they could call their own with friends to call upon in their time of need, he also recieved a very interesting bit of news: Caius had not yet been executed. According to Varulae and some local guards, Caius's execution had been postponed several times, as, to quote the council, there were "much more pressing matters to attend to". Sagax had formed a plan. A very long plan with an admittedly low chance of success, but it was a plan. Sagax bided his time until he was of twenty-nine years, where at that point he had been able to save up enough gold from the jobs he'd take pay from to acquire armor and other supplies.

It was a very abrupt announcement in the early morning, before everyone had set out to do their duties. He was going become a mercenary, and earn his fortune among a capable company and earn fame throughout Tamriel. He was going to become a man of the people and rebuild the Speculatus family's reputation. He would eventually do something so great, so significant, that the council would then grant him any desire. On that day, Sagax would demand the release of Caius Speculatus, and bring the Speculatus family back together once more. Piper told how that he sounded like a raving madman, but Sagax cheerfully declared that he WOULD return, and he would free his father from his false imprisonment. He would hear no opposition to his plans, and even went so far as to acquire his gear the day before. The group spent the next two hours arguing back and forth, but Sagax simply would not give. Knowing that nothing would dissuade Sagax, Piper and Equa both said their goodbyes. It was a heartfelt and tearful event, though Piper tried her damndest to hide hers. Varulae wished Sagax great fortune and gave him several healing potions and one very potent concoction: a potion of invisibility. She very sternly "suggested" he take it as a last-second ace in the hole, so Sagax gracefully accepted knowing full well that the high elf would not take "no" for an answer.

Sagax heard rumors of a group hiring at Markarth in the northern province of Skyrim. It sounded promising, so that is exactly where he headed, and is with the company still.

What makes me a good Demoman?

Since being with Ashav's company, Sagax has done some...questionable things. No not murder or anything like that, but things that might make you question just how smart of a man he is. During the siege of Windhelm, Sagax had forgotten his bag in a warehouse on the docks, but they had already been overrun by the Kamal. So what did he do? He scaled the walls in the dead of night, snuck into the warehouse and retrieved his possessions. Using a potion of invisibility, the Imperial made his way back out and scaled the wall again even as the Kamal fired ice spikes at him. If not for a friendly guard that had been watching his back, Sagax probably would have bitten the dirt right then and there. Now as if that weren't dumb enough, just a few hours later him and his friend Roze offered themselves as bomb-runners to Ashav. He agreed, handing them each an arcane charge which they were to use against the nearest docked Kamal ship. The ship received significant damage, but so did the two runners. Roze had been pierced by a wood splinter from the frigate while Sagax suffered severe burns and most likely a good bit of head trauma, not to mention the mental they both suffered.

Oh, you thought that was it? That Sagax decided enough was enough and vowed never to be so reckless again? No no no, that was but the beginning. After rescuing the mages trapped in the College of Winterhold, the company sought shelter in a cave on their way back to Dawnstar. A cave that had been claimed by none other than a colony of Falmer. When a chaurus decided it fancied Do'Karth as its meal, Sagax jumped onto its back and drove his blade deep into the insect's chitin plating, prying it away until his foe retreated, screeching all the way.

Most recently, Roze and Sagax were once again handed a bundle of arcane charges and given the mission to sabotage a Kamal slave vessel that had intercepted them as they sailed back to Dawnstar from Bthamz. Using potions of resist cold and their own agility, the two infiltrated the engine room and blew the sucker to bits, shredding the hull and sinking the frigate with great prejudice. At the very least, that bombing run went much better than the last.

On a subject different from his ridiculous exploits, Sagax has made a great many friends in his time under Ashav. Roze, Sevine, Tsleeixth, Do'Karth, Jorwen...and those are just the ones he interacts with the most. Sagax has met people from all walks of life, and he has been grateful for every learning opportunity afforded to him. The pacifistic Imperial would never dream of hurting anyone unless afforded no other choice, but if any of the company is ever in danger, he feels as though he will be more than comfortable tossing his principles aside. And that is most likely what scares Sagax the most.

Capabilities

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§ Attributes

Major Speed
Minor Agility

§ Skills

Expert: Acrobatics
Adept: Athletics, One-Handed Blade
Apprentice: Legerdemain, Communication, Sneak
Novice:Light Armor, Alchemy, Medium Armor

§ Weaknesses

Sagax is physically frail due to his time in poverty. He had not much to eat and often times the lake water would make him ill, weakening his body over time, so he cannot take much punishment.

Does not work well under pressure - In extreme circumstances, Sagax is liable to break lockpicks, fumble a grab during an escape, or alert an enemy to his location accidentally, amongst other things.

§ Spells

None

§ Tactics

When he must fight, Sagax uses the secret art of going very very fast to wear down his opponent before striking with quick thrusts and slices. He is also able to easily outmaneuver most foes, be that by dashing around them or scaling obstacles to gain a height advantage. He is also quite good at parrying with his blade.

§ Relations & Affiliations

Equa Speculatus - Mother
Caius Speculatus - Father
Piper Speculatus - Sister
Varulae - Family friend

§ Opinions

Jorwen - In the short time Sagax has known Jorwen, he's come to see the hulking man as a mentor, the kind of warrior to aspire to be like. Strong and capable, but still holds on to their humanity. Sagax hopes to live long enough to make the Red Bear proud. His daughter proved to be much like him, though she seemed to wear her battle rage at all times.

Sagax has heard of Jorwen's disappearance, and it fills him with many different emotions. Some he's not quite ready to let out, lest they control him instead of the other way around.

Roze - If there was ever one person Sagax was certain he could always go to when things looked dark and made everything a little brighter, it was Roze. Pragmatic but also playful, and with a wicked sense for comedic timing and a sharp wit.

The two had experienced some disagreements, however. Idealism versus practicality, concern for one's own well-being versus concern for the well being of others. Sagax firmly believed that everyone can be saved, but Roze took a more realistic approach, that some things just happen and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Roze's outlook, combined with his own recent inner conflict over violence and the taking of life, left Sagax infuriated. She just wouldn't see things his way. Though he was just as stubborn.

The last thing Roze and Sagax did...was fight. Roze was struck from Nirn before the two could even comfortably say "Good morning" to each other again. There was nothing Sagax or anyone else could do. She died suddenly and without warning. He had viciously struck Roze where it hurt the most all because of a minor disagreement in ethics, and then her life was snuffed out while Sagax was away playing the hero once more. Now he, nor anyone else, will be able to hear her laughter, jokes, or her sly and playful voice ever again.

Was it worth it, hero?

Tsleeixth - He doesn't quite know the Argonian very well, but from the few words the two have exchanged, it's clear to Sagax that Tsleeixth knows his stuff. There is much to learn from the beastman. His calm manner when dealing with an Argonian elder inciting riots solidified this in Sagax's mind.

Lately, Sagax can feel nothing but pity for the poor guy. Wherever he goes, he is constantly beset upon by people that want nothing more than to turn him into a purse. He also seems so conflicted about his own identity, like he doesn't know where he belongs, and Sagax hopes his mind settles soon. Whatever happens though, he will remain by Tsleeixth's side.

Utu - Like Tsleeixth, Sagax has shared scarce words with Utu, but he seemed to be a respectable and reliable person, if a bit secretive. He has seen the Argonian's marksmanship in action, and he easily trumped a lot of the most decorated archers in the Legion. Sagax hoped to learn of Argonian culture from Utu and Tsleeixth, and perhaps of how Utu became such a distinguished marksman, but those plans were cut short when the beastman was ran down by Kamal near Anga's Mill.

Sevine - As the days have gone by, it seems that Sevine has appointed herself as nanny of himself and Roze. If nothing else, she seems fairly dead set on making sure they don't go on any more escapades. Oh, that poor woman, she has no idea who she's dealing with. Still, Sagax has no desire to cause the huntress needless worry, as she has proven to be a great friend, and will endeavor not to be too reckless in the future for her sake.

Felix aep Caileach - He didn't know the man very long at all, but he had saved his life, and so Felix entrusted to Sagax his own magnum opus, asking his countryman to publish it in his stead if he were to perish. Perish he did, and so Sagax has made it his personal mission to carry out the dying wish of his compatriot.

Rhasha'Dar - Sagax had never personally met a Khajiit before Rhasha, and he is grateful for the opportunity. There is a lot to learn about the Khajiit people, and books can only cover so many aspects and perspectives. Calm and collected, he was an enigma to Sagax. Unfortunately, he will remain as such now that the Khajiit has been taken from this world.

Do'Karth - Do'Karth has certainly grown on Sagax. He carries a serious demeanor at times, but he has a good sense of humor. Except when he's near water, of course, but it's understandable. It probably isn't easy to swim with fur; Sagax imagines it'd be wearing an extra layer of clothing at all times. Peculiarly, Do'Karth and Sevine have begun to grow very warm with each other. What's going on with them? It is no mere bond through battle, and it seems to go above simple friendship. Perhaps it's best not to pry, though.

Vurwe - Crass, rude, and a snob of true Altmer proportions. At first glance, Sagax knew to stay away from her. News of her murder carried throughout Dawnstar, and Sagax wonders just how many things died with her.

Solveig - Solveig seems to be a very conflicted individual, as if even she doubts the decisions she's been making. Sometimes she'll wear this odd expression, like she's deep in thought, and it comes seemingly at random. Sagax figures it'll be nearly impossible to get her to open up, as she masks everything by wearing her battle rage at all times. He hopes that when something in her finally gives, it won't entail a big bloody mess, figuratively or literally.

Solveig took the loss of her father hard. She was crass, but below that was a love for her father, that Sagax is sure of. Her immediate departure to seek him out proves that. He must endeavor to offer his condolences next time they meet. If they meet again at all.

Ariane - Very aloof with a sense of superiority, but it would take a fool to say she had not earned at least a little of it. She very clearly knows what she's doing, and has a grasp on magic that rivals most Altmer. He has never spoken with Ariane personally, but Sagax figures she's a good woman at heart, even if she is a bit rude.

Keegan - Another Altmer, like Varulae. Not quite as rude as most but he still carries himself above others. An elf with many strange hobbies, a more recent one that Sagax has heard of being juggling, of all things. Keegan doesn't seem like a bad person, but is very clearly running from something.

Dumhuvud - Just...fuck that guy. What an unrepentant ass.

Leif - Really, he's not bad, it's just sometimes he listens to his, uh, head too much. Sevine going after Do'karth, however, seems to have pushed the poor bard to the edge. Sagax hopes he'll pull himself together before he's swallowed by petty jealousy.

§ Other

Despite being weak physically, his stamina is almost boundless, and is very quick on his feet. Sagax particularly loves the cold Skyrim wind against his body as he sprints to his destination, giving him a bit of extra energy on those longer journeys.

Inventory

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§ Cash

30 gold coins

§ Keys & Lockpicks

Ten lockpicks, all placed on his belt like decorations.

§ Tools & Crafting Materials

None

§ Clothing & Armor

Over his new plain white cotton shirt is a leather cuirass made of hardened, layered leather, with a hem of chainmail that drapes from his waist to just above his knees. Atop the cuirass rests a set of leather pauldrons of the same make, covering Sagax's shoulders and part of his upper arms. Replacing his old wool kneeguards are a pair of hard leather greaves, wrapping around his calfs and part of his thighs, with brown cotton trousers below. His footwear consists of hard leather boots, made to resist all manner of weather conditions, and his gloves are made of more flexible leather and have rough palms and fingers, perfect for acquiring and maintaining a grip on several surfaces. The Imperial can sometimes be seen wearing a hooded fur cloak that drapes around him and reaches below his hips.

§ Weapon & Ammo

Steel short sword

§ Potion & Arcane Supplies

Two healing potions and a magicka potion

§ Jewelry & Valuables

None

§ Books & Documents

Several letters addressed to him from his mother and sister and friends in the Imperial City.

§ Food/Drinks/Ingredients

Three portions of hardtack and a canteen of water

§ Load Bearing Equipment

One bag which is sectioned for convenience and holds most of his things and two pouches strapped to his waist.

§ Other

A basic fire starting kit, a fur bedroll, an inkwell and quill, a bundle of four sheets of parchment, a roll of cotton used as a pillow and a salvaged Dwemer gyro.

"Scenario" Playlist

Eavesdropping

Victory

Upper Hand

Retreat

Defense of the Innocent

Stealth and Sabotage

Friendly Conversation

Trailing a Target

Wandering the Streets

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

Piper Speculatus, Imperial Knightess

Piper Speculatus

Female Imperial | 25 | The Lord

Profile

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§ Birthplace

Imperial City, Cyrodil

§ Appearance

There's no mistaking Piper for anything other than an Imperial woman. She is of average Imperial height with shoulders slightly broader than Sagax's, is quite slender and, much to her chagrin, shapely, with few scars or blemishes to spare. Her sharp emerald irises and large eye shape she gets from her father, but Piper has inherited Equa's auburn locks and thin lips. She wears her shoulder-length hair in the above-the-ears style popular with elves like Varulae, though she ties the end of her hair to actually keep it in place, not having the necessary ear shape to do it naturally. Piper has developed more muscle mass than her brother thanks to her smithing hobby and continued training in heavy armors and with blades, and that is not something she is ashamed to flaunt, though she could still be classed as "pretty" at the very least. If she looked more like a Nord or was simply uglier and had more scars, people would see past her looks and respect her more...or at least, so believes Piper, and so she prefers covering herself up in her armor whenever possible to hide her figure.

§ Personality

Take most things Sagax is, turn them around, and you've got Piper. A misanthropic, untrusting Imperial with a temper and knowledge of martial combat, it's a good idea to at least not be registered as an enemy. She cares not for boastful stories of supposedly-great triumphs or victories, and would much rather just be left alone. Much more reserved than Sagax, she will only rarely seek others out for conversation or small-talk, but more often than not she will only talk with others if there is something that has to be said.

Piper herself has lost some faith in her gods, though she still prays to them all in equal proportions, even if she feels that she is ignored. Unlike Sagax's subscription to Mara's "love for all", Piper believes that those that harm the innocent and kill indiscriminately are fair game for Stendarr's righteous might, and has no qualms about putting down the various kinds of villains that stalk the lands of Tamriel. Her brother believes this stance to be "extreme", but Piper puts little stock in Sagax's naivete and ignorance of how the world truly works; he would nurse a mass murderer if the bastard got a nasty cut from his victim before they passed.

Due to her perceptions on how being respected and being taken seriously ought to work, Piper takes offense to compliments about her looks, and will challenge any man or woman in one-on-one combat to prove her mettle to them...but mostly to herself. Compliments on her martial prowess, however, make her silently prideful, and more often than not she unknowingly wears a ridiculous grin, which is where her helmet comes in handy. She has great respect and even greater envy for well-regarded warriors, and will often try to mimic them, with varying degrees of success and humiliation.

§ Background

Sweat, Blood and Steel

On the twenty-eighth of Rain's Hand, Sagax's mother, Equa, gave birth to a second child; specifically, a daughter. Equa and Caius decided to name her Piper, as she was very fussy and troublesome on her way out into the world. Her name would fit her further later in life, as after the incident on the Waterfront and the false imprisonment of her father, Piper would lose much faith in those outside of her family and viewed others with peppery disdain. Whenever Sagax or Equa would talk about maybe still having friends in the city, Piper would simply snort dismissively and retort that everyone had already forgotten about their family, and if they hadn't, they were untrustworthy swines and bastards. Her attitude would cool eventually after being taken in by Varulae, but the ever-glaring Imperial would always harbor some misanthropic feelings, and it took her a long time to be able to converse easily with the generous Altmer that gave her family a new home.

While Sagax was out running packages and letters, Piper was putting time into her combat abilities and taking pay as a store guard for the various shops in the Market District. The shopkeeps knew who she was, and a few turned her down at the door, though even the ones who didn't were still very cautious about her working in their stores and would often send her home hours before her shift was supposed to end. The involuntary free time that was shoved in her face gave her take more opportunities to practice with her blade. Training on her own against stationary dummies eventually lost its usefulness, and Piper needed to find someone to actually teach her further. Holding on to the slim chance that maybe one of her father's old friends was still in the service, the anxious woman made her way to the Watch barracks. Steeling herself for the harshest words she could imagine, Piper opened the door and stepped inside. To her surprise, her ears were not met with angry shouting and vile accusations, but with a well-mannered greeting from one of the off-duty guards, who Piper later learned was one Aquillius Marius. Even more surprising: the man knew her by name. Apparently Varulae had told some of her own close friends that Piper's family had resurfaced, literally. When he asked what she wanted, Piper responded with a request for combat training. It was agreed that she would start tomorrow evening after Aquillius' shift.

Day after day, Piper would meet Aquillius in the Arena District; it had the most space for practice and plenty of training tools for aspiring fighters. Piper started off with basic sword-and-shield techniques, which she already had some experience with, and worked her way up with the help of the guardsman's supervision. She learned how to angle a shield to deflect sword blows away from her, where to hold one to maximize protection against ranged weapons, and how to use a shield in conjunction with the longsword, Piper's arm of choice. Then came the heavy armor training, which tested and forcefully extended the limits of her endurance. It took her a while to get used to how to move in heavy armor, and would frequently exhaust herself. She had a patient teacher, though, and he stuck with Piper until she got the hang of it. Her training took about half a year, though she continued practicing with Aquillius for another few months, at which point he felt he taught the raring lass all he could as a soldier. All that was left was for Piper to learn how to maintain her gear, and to that end he directed her to Uradras Dreleth. He was once a Redoran blacksmith, or so the old Mer told those that sought his services, though reportedly all questions about his origins and why he came to Cyrodiil were either shot down or ignored entirely. Whatever the case, Aquillius assured Piper that she could learn a lot from Dreleth, and that he wished her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

Uradras, Piper learned very quickly, was not as nice and polite as Aquillius. When she told him why she was in shop, he started yelling about how he wasn't taking any apprentices and that "you damned people need to mind your own business!" The mentioning of Aquillius didn't exactly make the grouch apologetic, but at least he stopped his angry rambling. He waved Piper over to his forge impatiently and began showing Piper the basics. Thankfully, as much of a grumpy coot as Uradras was, he was an even better teacher. Under his very critical wing, Piper learned how to sharpen a blade, buff out dents in armor, and all other manner of techniques a warrior in the field would need. Surprise of all surprises, when her initial training was done, the crotchety Dunmer actually expressed a meager amount of approval with how well she took to everything. Sensing that perhaps Piper had a talent for the craft, Uradras offered to teach her further as his pupil, a position that had apparently been reopened in the few days it took for the Imperial to learn the basics. Not seeing her very unsteady job as a store guard going any where, Piper of course took his offer. Immediately upon her acceptance, Dreleth shoved the hammer back into Piper's hand and lead her through the steps to making her very first piece: An iron dirk that she keeps to this day.

Learning the intricacies of the art of smithing under Uradras was hard and tiring work. He was very quick and simple with his lessons, never spending very long on anything, so Piper had to learn just as quickly. He was also an incredibly critical teacher, with the Mer somehow finding faults with every single bend of the metal, and Piper would often come home long after the sun vanished from the sky having spent a lot of time correcting her myriad of mistakes. Though she would hit her pillow night after night with arms sore and eyes burning, Piper found an odd enjoyment in her work. She could forget everything else and focus entirely on the metal she was working with, each consecutive strike of her hammer coming together to form a hypnotic rhythm. What really took an hour of hammering and forging felt like minutes to her, and her intense focus greatly amused Uradras, who said that Piper had a "resting s'wit face" when she really got into her work. She spent the next four years under Dreleth's employ and tutelage, both honing her craft and making decent money repairing and forging arms and armor for their customers. As one last trial of mastery, the old elf gave Piper his final orders as her tutor: forge a set of steel plate armor and a shield, fit for a knight. Setting her hammer to metal at once, Piper worked with Uradras watching closely, who shockingly said not a word. The most she got out of her tutor was a short grunt of approval when she finally finished the cuirass. Setting all the pieces out on a nearby table, Piper herself could hardly believe that she was the one that made it all. It was the first time in a while since she smiled with any energy. The last word from her tutor that she would ever hear rang out with audible happiness: "Finally!"

Piper came home gushing with pride, telling everyone about everything she had made and how great of a teacher Uradras was; no one had seen her quite so happy before, and she sorely wished her brother was there so she could show him her craftsmanship. That smile would vanish the next morning when she went back to the workshop to continue her work on other pieces. Instead of Uradras meeting her at the door with his usual impatient "you were almost late!" speech, it was his daughter Undena, watery-eyed and mournful. Undena told Piper that during the night, her father's heart finally gave out on him, and Uradras died in his sleep. Piper couldn't believe what she was hearing, she had spoken to the Mer barely twelve hours prior, and he seemed fine, though he did retire earlier than usual. After offering her condolences to the grieving daughter of her master, Piper was invited into the home; apparently Uradras had left something for her. In her father's room, Undena had found a small journal with a stack of letters stuffed inside, and emblazoned on the front cover was a strange red beetle which she explained was the insignia of the Great House Redoran of Morrowind. The note that was found next to the journal on the night-stand read "Reminder to self: Give letters to the Speculatus family, and perhaps share what's in my old journal.", and scribbled at the bottom was something about "Caius being so damned overly cautious". Piper didn't have a single idea about what Uradras meant. Caius? As in, her father Caius? Her father never even spoke of Uradras, though, or of any of the Dreleth family. The contents of the journal and letters didn't help things: They were written in Dunmeris, though there was one thing she could decipher: An elegant "C" was written at the end of some of the letters. It was all very confusing, and she wasn't quite in the mood to chase ghosts at that point in time. Besides, she thought it better to give Undena time to grieve before digging into her dead father's past, and instead retrieved her armor, wished the best for Undena, and went back home. It had felt like such a short four years, and Uradras was gone already. While they weren't super best friends or anything, Piper greatly appreciated the time the old Mer spent in teaching her, even during the times she seem to have proved useless. Before leaving for Skyrim, Piper forged a medallion, using the symbol on Uradras' journal as a guide for getting the details down for the Redoran beetle. She continues to wear this medallion as a sign of respect for her late master and it is plainly visible when Piper is out of her armor.
Perhaps it wasn't just Sagax's leaving and her concern for his safety that fueled Piper's decision to follow her brother to Skyrim. She knew that there were multitudes of Dunmer in the northern province, thanks to the Red Year, and at least one of them had to still know the language of their own kind. She wanted to know what was so important in those letters that Uradras was apparently sworn to secrecy by some mysterious "C". If not her father Caius, then who? Piper didn't have a great feeling about the contents of the letters, but something more than vain curiosity gnawed at her, as if she felt like she would learn some great truth if those old bits of paper were made readable. Well, even if she couldn't translate the letters, she still needed to make sure Sagax came home in one piece. That man would throw himself into an Orc berserker for the fun of it.

Capabilities

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§ Attributes

Major Endurance
Minor Strength

§ Skills

Expert: None
Adept: Smithing, Shield, Heavy Armor, One-Handed Blade
Apprentice: Athletics, Tailoring, Medicine
Novice: Speech, Hand to Hand, Alchemy

§ Weaknesses

Utter magical inability: For whatever reason, Piper just cannot seem to get a handle on magic. Varulae on several occasions tried teaching her some basic healing spells, but nothing ever came of it. Same for destruction spells, alteration spells, and all other spells the High Elf knew of; Piper is a martial combatant, not magical, and that's the end of it.
Insensitive: Piper can come across as rather cold and uncaring to the everyday passerby, and its very easy for her to offend without meaning to. This naturally makes it quite difficult for her to make many allies.
Poor Balance: Unfortunately, Piper does not share Sagax's uncanny ability to always stay on his feet. Though her armor helps in anchoring her, given the right amount of force, Piper can be toppled relatively easily.
Insecure: Having no real experience being outside of the Imperial City nor in live combat, deep down Piper doubts her supposed hardiness, so to prove to herself that she can handle the outside world she may lash out at those who criticize her abilities, even if all they may be doing is providing helpful advice. This insecurity hampers her ability to receive and absorb helpful information, and Piper will keep at something even if it's clear she could be doing it better.

§ Spells

None.

§ Tactics

One could describe Piper's method of fighting as "Aggressively Defensive". Steadily advancing on her foe while her shield and armor deflect blows, Piper will strike out from behind her shield with heavy thrusts, alternating with swift cuts if her opponent is nimble. She will use her shield to try and knock her foe off balance, either by charging into them or simply hitting them with the front, as if she were punching. She operates as an anchor, an obstacle one must engage before getting to her squishier allies.

§ Relations & Affiliations

Equa Speculatus - Mother
Caius Speculatus - Father
Sagax Speculatus - Brother
Varulae - Family friend

§ Opinions

Sagax: She loves the man dearly, but her brother can be so hard-headed in the worst ways, and not to mention his gods-damned hero complex. She just hopes he doesn't injure himself too seriously saving a lost puppy or whatever the hell he's prone to do.

Roze: Bitch. Yet to determine whether she is a thief or a just prostitute that likes to roleplay as a thief.

§ Other

Strong Back: Her training in and continued usage of heavy armor has conditioned Piper's body for carrying large loads, and she can carry many things for a good distance before needing to rest.

Inventory

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§ Cash

20 gold coins

§ Keys & Lockpicks

None

§ Tools & Crafting Materials

A smithing hammer, whetstone, and a steel ingot

§ Clothing & Armor

Piper's everyday attire consists of black cotton trousers with a leather belt, basic leather boots and a gray cotton long-sleeved shirt, with her blacksmithing apron and leather gloves on top of that when working. The medallion she crafted is always around her neck, and she watches it like a hawk. Over Piper's normal attire is her steel armor, crafted in her master's workshop just a day before his passing. The aesthetic of the armor itself is distinctly Cyrodillic, like the kind you'd find in illustrations of knights in popular fiction. A "bucket" helmet completes the set, resting atop a chainmail coif.

§ Weapon & Ammo

Steel longsword, an iron dirk and a teardrop shield, emblazoned with the signet of the Imperial Dragon

§ Potion & Arcane Supplies

Two potions of healing, and two potions of stamina

§ Jewelry & Valuables

Redoran amulet crafted in memory of Uradras Dreleth

§ Books & Documents

Uradras' journal and the letters of correspondence to a mysterious person known only as "C", all written in Dunmeris

§ Food/Drinks/Ingredients

Water canteen, four slices of dried meat, and three pieces of hardtack

§ Load Bearing Equipment

A large backpack, and a harness consisting of four pouches she attaches to her cuirass

§ Other

One fur bedroll, a bar of soap and two wash rags, and a torch

And here's the bitch firebrand. She didn't exactly do much in Chapter 1 so I didn't add anything to her bio.

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

@Frizan, always a pleasure to have your large and juicy...

...summary.

Sagax's looking good, but his background doesn't include his extraordinary exploits during chapter 1. Please add some for our information and entertainment.

@Gcold

Ah, I knew I forgot something. Added details about his time in the company in a different hider under the Bio tab.

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

Sagax Speculatus, Imperial Runner

Sagax Speculatus

Male Imperial | 29 | The Tower

Profile

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§ Place of Birth

Imperial City, Cyrodil

§ Appearance

Sagax is hardly an imposing figure, standing slightly shorter than your average Imperial with quite narrow shoulders and emerald eyes. He is thin enough that several people have given him worried glances, while in truth, he simply only eats what he absolutely must which leaves little meat to build on his bones; surviving on nothing during his teen years has given him the habit of rationing every morsel he has, though his experience with scaling walls and buildings gives him a little bit of visible muscle. Sagax used to wear his hair long enough to cover his eyes, but dear sister did away with that; now it is short and neat(er than before). Efforts to grow facial hair prove woefully unsuccessful. The man's body is littered with cuts, scars and smudges, and as of the siege of Windhelm, streaking burn marks over his arms and his upper body, reaching onto his neck slightly. Sagax accumulated the rest of his injuries from screwing up and losing his footing during deliveries and missing a grab when climbing in his childhood, getting into scuffs with animals making a bid for the same food as him, and other such mundane activities.

§ Personality

Sagax is a very passive and agreeable fellow, the kind of man who would rather be at the sidelines instead of in everyone's face. He enjoys listening to the stories of his comrades and adventurers who pass him by, despite how true they may be, and will very seldom interrupt a good tale. He believes that there is always more to see in the world, and that is what drives him and keeps him hopeful for that one day that will grant him the power to free his father and give his family a better life.

Sagax is not a man that is easily angered, as very little is prone to set him off. Even the mention of his father, positive or otherwise, simply fills him with confidence that he will be able to secure Caius's freedom. Even in dire situations, he attempts to keep a cheerful disposition and boost the morale of his mates, despite what he may be really feeling. Sagax also trusts easily, always giving people the benefit of the doubt, and often makes the effort to talk with people he doesn't quite know yet; he is good at taking hints though, he will not push a subject further than the person will allow or feels comfortable with.

He will sometimes offer solutions to problems that crop up, and will more often than not lean toward the path of least bloodshed, leading some within the company to label Sagax as a "milk-drinker". He doesn't let this stop him though. Sagax refuses to let petty name calling get the better of him. Deep down inside, however, he can feel something changing. Something dark starting to surface, and he fears that at some point he will lose control of it.

§ Background

I was a kid running messages...

Sagax was born a full-blooded Imperial on the seventh of First Seed 4E 176 in the capital city to a dockworker and a guard captain living in the Elven Gardens District. His name had no distinct connection to what he was like as a very young child, but his parents were both very proud of their Imperial roots, and also believed that people would grow live up to the meanings of their names in adulthood, so Sagax supposes that they chose the name because they liked the idea of a "keen", energetic son. When he was three years old, on the twenty-eighth of Rain's Hand, Sagax's mother, Equa, gave birth to a second child; specifically, a daughter. Little Piper and Sagax became inseparable over the years, much to the joy(and relief) of their parents. Without any real sibling rivalry happening, Equa and Caius, Sagax and Piper's father, could work knowing that everything would still be relatively the same by the time they got home. Not that the two would stay in the house, though. In fact, by the time that Sagax and Piper were ten and seven respectively, it would be rare not to find them wandering the city.

Sagax enjoyed scaling the many buildings in the districts, and would sometimes feign a slip to scare Piper. He learned to stop those shenanigans when Piper began tossing rocks near him, but never quite hitting her target, whenever she thought Sagax was faking a slip, prompting him to latch back on to whatever ledge he was gripping whether he was going to or not. Piper would always ask around the market district or the docks if she could help out in any way, often conscripting Sagax as well, not that he really minded; he hated having nothing to do. Their main odd jobs usually consisted of package-running for the merchants or putting up advertisement posters for their shops. Sagax was easily the faster of the two, but also easily distracted, always stopping for something before being pushed back on track by Piper. She was always timely and organized in stark contrast to her almost bumbling brother; if not for Piper, Sagax wouldn't have gotten anything done at all. Their differences is what made their bond stronger though, both realizing that the other had skills that they didn't. Piper and Sagax could work in perfect tandem, always getting their jobs done, albeit not always in the efficient manner that Piper would have preferred.

At thirteen, Sagax's father decided that it was time to teach him how to use a blade. Caius deeply wanted Sagax to carry on the family ways, serving the empire and its people faithfully, and prepared his son by tutoring him in the art of combat early. It took only two lessons for Piper, who before then had simply watched, to haughtily announce that she could learn to use swords just as well as Sagax, and demanded that she be allowed to participate. Equa protested initially, worried for her daughter's safety, but soon gave in to Caius's reassurences that Piper would be perfectly fine, and that such tutoring would be very useful to her. Piper took well to what her father taught her, quickly catching up to Sagax in skill, but it wasn't until Caius permitted Sagax and Piper to spar together that Piper was able to display her greater prowess. Piper, while not as quick as Sagax, could maneuver herself much better and could land more strikes. Sagax's abilities lied more with dodging and parrying, and he simply couldn't get the timing down for actually swinging and landing a hit. Whenever he went to strike, Piper would smack his blade to the side and counter-attack, but sometimes if he could feint correctly Sagax could cause Piper to lose her balance. Despite their respective shortcomings, Caius was quite pleased with Sagax and Piper's capabilities, and truly believed that they could become masters if they kept with their training. These sessions continued for a few years, and the children would sometimes spar on their own, slowly but steadily increasing their skill over time.

Life was normal, if not happy, for the next five or so years, but only a month after Piper's fifteenth birthday, the Speculatus family was ripped apart. A riot had broken out in the slums over the guards being directly ordered to collect on the taxes of the disenfranchised that lived there. Caius was called to calm the situation and appease the angry crowd, but it only went horribly wrong from there. The mob began attacking the guards surrounding the perimeter, and Caius gave the order to form up and push them back. Instead, some of the guards openly retaliated, and the situation escalated incredibly quickly, with Caius losing control of his men. He shouted to back down but few listened, and what was meant to be a containment procedure turned into a slaughter, with several dead and others sustaining heavy injuries.

Under heavy pressure by the council and the press, the shamed guard captain faced a disciplinary hearing ending with him being stripped of his rank and sentenced to death. The press spun the story to be that Caius had ordered the attack on the mob when confronted peacefully, shattering the reputation of the Speculatus family and causing several good friends of the family to fall out. Even those that believed Caius to be innocent and knew the story feared retribution if they dared to continue to cohort with the Speculatus family, and left them to their own devices. Equa was fired from her job as a dockworker, though it was mostly for her own safety given the proximity of the port to the slums, and had then received an eviction letter a day later, a sort of covert way for those in the slums to feel as though they had achieved some kind of retribution and making them complacent. Equa, Sagax, and Piper were left with no income, no home, and very few friends. No one would let them live in their homes, nor did they dare go to the slums to seek refuge. They spent the following years living in the sewers and on the outskirts of the city surviving on rat and mudcrab meat and water from the lake.

It was during these years living in the sewers that required Sagax to learn the art of lockpicking, while Piper killed rats with whatever rusty piece of junk she could find that could even conceivably be used as a weapon, being the more combat-proficient of the group. He had a very rough beginning, with the only source of lockpicks coming from the rare ones that dropped through the sewer grates above them, lost by their unscrupulous owners passing by, and a source that was quite suspect to Sagax: Neat groupings of two to three lockpicks that were too conveniently placed to have been dropped unknowingly that found their way to the grate that Sagax and Piper used to get topside. Sagax was relived to know that the Speculatus family still had allies, though he did not know who. He suspected some of his father's old friends, or perhaps even the Thieve's Guild. Regardless of whoever these friends were, Sagax was grateful, and he set out practicing immediately. Throughout the sewers Sagax found ancient wooden trunks left by their owners to one day recollect, but had obviously been forgotten. Most of them had simply had their lids smashed open to get the goods inside, leaving the locks untouched, and even the ones that were intact had only a few gold pieces and nothing more, but it was still good practice. It took him almost a year to get the craft down, breaking many lockpicks in the process, but Sagax finally had enough skill to warrant being confident. He began his first foray into outright thievery at nineteen, using the sewer entrances to the shops above to acquire things his family would need below. He felt ashamed, having to resort to crime to stay afloat, and hypothetical scenes of his father's words played in his mind, but deep down he knew that it had to be this way. He knew that the merchants above wouldn't deal with him directly, nor did he have anything to barter with. Sagax took only what he had to, mostly loaves of bread and the odd cure disease potion, ensuring that his activities went mostly unnoticed. His only major theft was an iron longsword for Piper, and from what Sagax heard it went reported but the guards gave merely a half-hearted investigation, only checking the main entrance to the sewers and going no further before turning back. He didn't know if the guards were just lazy or if they were intentionally turning a blind eye, but the only thing that mattered to him was that his mother and sister were safe and that Piper finally had a real weapon to use.

Sagax's "spree" went on for six years until he was actually caught. He had snuck into the local potions shop to find a healing potion, as Piper had sustained quite a large gash from a mudcrab's pincers, where the owner, an altmer woman named Varulae Saderin, was waiting for him. She had hid on the staircase, a wall separating it from the rest of the room, and announced her presence as Sagax was half way way back to the sewers. Varulae implored Sagax to stay a moment, and said that she simply wanted to talk to him. Sagax stood close by to the sewer entrance, hand to the knob, but listened out of curiosity, wondering what scathing words were about to be flung this way. To his great surprise, Varulae was very sympathetic to Sagax and his family, and revealed many others were as well. She explained that many of the Speculatus family's allies were too afraid to intervene in the sentencing of Caius, fearful of being lambasted and outcasted. Most people simply followed the story that the papers wrote, and believed that Caius ordered the attack on the slums, leaving the rest to suffer the effects of rather violent peer pressure. She speculated that the council had a hand in how the story was reported, and wanted to appear as though they took a hard stance against corruption in the Imperial City watch and dealt with the root of the problem. As the years passed, however, tension had died down and the incident was hardly more than a bitter memory to most. Now, those loyal to the family were fully willing to assist them, and Varulae even insisted that Sagax and his sister and mother stay with her in the upstairs quarters. Sagax, extremely grateful for the offer, accepted, to the joy of the jovial high elf. He fetched Piper and Equa and Varulae led them upstairs, where a guest room was available.

Too small for all three of them, Sagax offered to clear out some space in the cellar and stay there, but Piper angrily protested, mostly stung with pride and love for her brother hearing him offering to sleep in some cold, dark basement while she and mother stayed upstairs comfortably in actual beds. They eventually compromised: They would all sleep in the same room despite the crampedness, but since the room was too small for three beds, a small mat would be placed in the middle of the room where one of the two of them(neither Piper nor Sagax would hear a word of their mother offering to give up her bed) would swap places and sleep every other night. Sagax insisted that Piper be the first person in the rotation to sleep on the bed under the reasoning that she had been far more active, hunting rats and mudcrubs, so she needed more restful sleep. She begrudgingly complied, but only after heavily inspecting Sagax's bedding, ensuring that he would just as comfortable as she would be sleeping in the bed. As much as she loved the stubborn bastard, Sagax's tendency to give up certain comforts out of some misguided sense of self sacrifice even though he could easily have them just as she and mother did greatly irritated Piper, and Sagax knew this. It was fun to see her get mad sometimes, though.

Under the employment of Varulae, Sagax found himself in the exact same position as he was several years ago, being a messenger and delivery boy, though Equa and Piper went through some pleasant changes in employment. Piper started offering herself as a shop guard to any merchant who would have her, and their mother took up Varulae's craft to assist her in the business. Of course, much to Piper's frustration(and Sagax's endless amusement), Sagax refused most pay, only accepting compensation for significantly laborious or dangerous tasks, which did not come often. For the most part though, the remaining family enjoyed a stable living. This, though, was not enough for Sagax. Not only did he wish for his sister and mother to be able to live comfortably in a home they could call their own with friends to call upon in their time of need, he also recieved a very interesting bit of news: Caius had not yet been executed. According to Varulae and some local guards, Caius's execution had been postponed several times, as, to quote the council, there were "much more pressing matters to attend to". Sagax had formed a plan. A very long plan with an admittedly low chance of success, but it was a plan. Sagax bided his time until he was of twenty-nine years, where at that point he had been able to save up enough gold from the jobs he'd take pay from to acquire armor and other supplies.

It was a very abrupt announcement in the early morning, before everyone had set out to do their duties. He was going become a mercenary, and earn his fortune among a capable company and earn fame throughout Tamriel. He was going to become a man of the people and rebuild the Speculatus family's reputation. He would eventually do something so great, so significant, that the council would then grant him any desire. On that day, Sagax would demand the release of Caius Speculatus, and bring the Speculatus family back together once more. Piper told how that he sounded like a raving madman, but Sagax cheerfully declared that he WOULD return, and he would free his father from his false imprisonment. He would hear no opposition to his plans, and even went so far as to acquire his gear the day before. The group spent the next two hours arguing back and forth, but Sagax simply would not give. Knowing that nothing would dissuade Sagax, Piper and Equa both said their goodbyes. It was a heartfelt and tearful event, though Piper tried her damndest to hide hers. Varulae wished Sagax great fortune and gave him several healing potions and one very potent concoction: a potion of invisibility. She very sternly "suggested" he take it as a last-second ace in the hole, so Sagax gracefully accepted knowing full well that the high elf would not take "no" for an answer.

Sagax heard rumors of a group hiring at Markarth in the northern province of Skyrim. It sounded promising, so that is exactly where he headed, and is with the company still.

What makes me a good Demoman?

Since being with Ashav's company, Sagax has done some...questionable things. No not murder or anything like that, but things that might make you question just how smart of a man he is. During the siege of Windhelm, Sagax had forgotten his bag in a warehouse on the docks, but they had already been overrun by the Kamal. So what did he do? He scaled the walls in the dead of night, snuck into the warehouse and retrieved his possessions. Using a potion of invisibility, the Imperial made his way back out and scaled the wall again even as the Kamal fired ice spikes at him. If not for a friendly guard that had been watching his back, Sagax probably would have bitten the dirt right then and there. Now as if that weren't dumb enough, just a few hours later him and his friend Roze offered themselves as bomb-runners to Ashav. He agreed, handing them each an arcane charge which they were to use against the nearest docked Kamal ship. The ship received significant damage, but so did the two runners. Roze had been pierced by a wood splinter from the frigate while Sagax suffered severe burns and most likely a good bit of head trauma, not to mention the mental they both suffered.

Oh, you thought that was it? That Sagax decided enough was enough and vowed never to be so reckless again? No no no, that was but the beginning. After rescuing the mages trapped in the College of Winterhold, the company sought shelter in a cave on their way back to Dawnstar. A cave that had been claimed by none other than a colony of Falmer. When a chaurus decided it fancied Do'Karth as its meal, Sagax jumped onto its back and drove his blade deep into the insect's chitin plating, prying it away until his foe retreated, screeching all the way.

Most recently, Roze and Sagax were once again handed a bundle of arcane charges and given the mission to sabotage a Kamal slave vessel that had intercepted them as they sailed back to Dawnstar from Bthamz. Using potions of resist cold and their own agility, the two infiltrated the engine room and blew the sucker to bits, shredding the hull and sinking the frigate with great prejudice. At the very least, that bombing run went much better than the last.

On a subject different from his ridiculous exploits, Sagax has made a great many friends in his time under Ashav. Roze, Sevine, Tsleeixth, Do'Karth, Jorwen...and those are just the ones he interacts with the most. Sagax has met people from all walks of life, and he has been grateful for every learning opportunity afforded to him. The pacifistic Imperial would never dream of hurting anyone unless afforded no other choice, but if any of the company is ever in danger, he feels as though he will be more than comfortable tossing his principles aside. And that is most likely what scares Sagax the most.

Capabilities

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§ Attributes

Major Speed
Minor Agility

§ Skills

Expert: Acrobatics
Adept: Athletics, One-Handed Blade
Apprentice: Lockpicking, Light Armor, Sneak
Novice: Speech, Mercantile, Alchemy, Medium Armor

§ Weaknesses

Sagax is physically frail due to his time in poverty. He had not much to eat and often times the lake water would make him ill, weakening his body over time, so he cannot take much punishment.

Does not work well under pressure - In extreme circumstances, Sagax is liable to break lockpicks, fumble a grab during an escape, or alert an enemy to his location accidentally, amongst other things.

§ Spells

None

§ Tactics

When he must fight, Sagax uses the secret art of going very very fast to wear down his opponent before striking with quick thrusts and slices. He is also able to easily outmaneuver most foes, be that by dashing around them or scaling obstacles to gain a height advantage. He is also quite good at parrying with his blade.

§ Relations & Affiliations

Equa Speculatus - Mother
Caius Speculatus - Father
Piper Speculatus - Sister
Varulae - Family friend

§ Opinions

Last updated: Just after Bthamz mission
Jorwen - In the short time Sagax has known Jorwen, he's come to see the hulking man as a mentor, the kind of warrior to aspire to be like. Strong and capable, but still hold on to their humanity. Sagax hopes to live long enough to learn all he can from the Red-Bear. His daughter has proven to be much like him, though she seems to wear her battle rage at all times. Hopefully she cools off eventually.

Sagax has heard of Jorwen's disappearance, and it fills him with many different emotions. Some he's not quite ready to let out, lest they control him instead of the other way around.

Roze - If there's one person Sagax is sure he can go to when things look dark and make everything a little brighter, it's Roze. Pragmatic but also playful, and with a wicked sense for comedic timing and a sharp wit.
Lately, though, the two have experienced some disagreements. Idealism versus practicality, concern for one's own well-being versus concern for the well being of others. Sagax firmly believes that everyone can be saved, but Roze takes a more realistic approach, that some things just happen and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Roze's outlook, combined with his own recent inner conflict over violence and the taking of life, leaves Sagax infuriated. Why couldn't she just...try? Why couldn't Roze see that no situation is so hopeless?

Why does she have to be right?

Tsleeixth - He doesn't quite know the Argonian very well, but from the few words the two have exchanged, it's clear to Sagax that Tsleeixth knows his stuff. There is much to learn from the beastman. His calm manner when dealing with an Argonian elder inciting riots solidified this in Sagax's mind.

Utu - Like Tsleeixth, Sagax has shared scarce words with Utu, but he seemed to be a respectable and reliable person, if a bit secretive. He has seen the Argonian's marksmanship in action, and he easily trumped a lot of the most decorated archers in the Legion. Sagax hoped to learn of Argonian culture from Utu and Tsleeixth, and perhaps of how Utu became such a distinguished marksman, but those plans were cut short when the beastman was ran down by Kamal near Anga's Mill.

Sevine - As the days have gone by, it seems that Sevine has appointed herself as nanny of himself and Roze. If nothing else, she seems fairly dead set on making sure they don't go on any more escapades. Oh, that poor woman, she has no idea who she's dealing with. Still, Sagax has no desire to cause the huntress needless worry, as she has proven to be a great friend, and will endeavor not to be too reckless in the future...openly, anyway.

Felix aep Caileach - He didn't know the man very long at all, but he had saved his life, and so Felix entrusted to Sagax his own magnum opus, asking his countryman to publish it in his stead if he were to perish. Perish he did, and so Sagax has made it his personal mission to carry out the dying wish of his compatriot.

Rhasha'Dar - Sagax had never personally met a Khajiit before Rhasha, and he is grateful for the opportunity. There is a lot to learn about the Khajiit people, and books can only cover so many aspects and perspectives. Calm and collected, he is somewhat an engima to Sagax, and he hopes to fix that with time.

Do'Karth - Do'Karth has certainly grown on Sagax. He carries a serious demeanor at times, but he has a good sense of humor. Except when he's near water, of course, but it's understandable. It probably isn't easy to swim with fur; Sagax imagines it'd be wearing an extra layer of clothing at all times. Peculiarly, Do'Karth and Sevine have begun to grow very warm with each other. What's going on with them? It is no mere bond through battle, and it seems to go above simple friendship. Perhaps it's best not to pry, though.

Vurwe - Crass, rude, and a snob of true Altmer proportions. At first glance, Sagax knew to stay away from her. News of her murder carried throughout Dawnstar, and Sagax wonders just how many things died with her.

Solveig - Solveig seems to be a very conflicted individual, as if even she doubts the decisions she's been making. Sometimes she'll wear this odd expression, like she's deep in thought, and it comes seemingly at random. Sagax figures it'll be nearly impossible to get her to open up, as she masks everything by wearing her battle rage at all times. He hopes that when something in her finally gives, it won't entail a big bloody mess, figuratively or literally.

Solveig must be taking the loss of her father hard. She was crass, but below that was a love for her father, that Sagax is sure of. He must endeavor to offer his condolences next time they meet.

§ Other

Despite being weak physically, his stamina is almost boundless, and is very quick on his feet. Sagax particularly loves the cold Skyrim wind against his body as he sprints to his destination, giving him a bit of extra energy on those longer journeys.

Inventory

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§ Cash

30 gold coins

§ Keys & Lockpicks

Ten lockpicks, all placed on his belt like decorations.

§ Tools & Crafting Materials

None

§ Clothing & Armor

Over his new plain white cotton shirt is a leather cuirass made of hardened, layered leather, with a hem of chainmail that drapes from his waist to just above his knees. Atop the cuirass rests a set of leather pauldrons of the same make, covering Sagax's shoulders and part of his upper arms. Replacing his old wool kneeguards are a pair of hard leather greaves, wrapping around his calfs and part of his thighs, with brown cotton trousers below. His footwear consists of hard leather boots, made to resist all manner of weather conditions, and his gloves are made of more flexible leather and have rough palms and fingers, perfect for acquiring and maintaining a grip on several surfaces. The Imperial can sometimes be seen wearing a hooded fur cloak that drapes around him and reaches below his hips.

§ Weapon & Ammo

Steel short sword

§ Potion & Arcane Supplies

Two healing potions and a magicka potion

§ Jewelry & Valuables

None

§ Books & Documents

Several letters addressed to him from his mother and sister and friends in the Imperial City.

§ Food/Drinks/Ingredients

Three portions of hardtack and a canteen of water

§ Load Bearing Equipment

One bag which is sectioned for convenience and holds most of his things and two pouches strapped to his waist.

§ Other

A basic fire starting kit, a fur bedroll, an inkwell and quill, a bundle of four sheets of parchment, a roll of cotton used as a pillow and a salvaged Dwemer gyro.

Here be one of our merry suicide bombers. I'll have Piper ready to go soon.