Dreadfall: Origins {Fanfic} Now, with Pictures!

Helgen

I always wanted to be a writer. My friends say I read too much, but I guess I never had anything to write about. Who would want to read the exiting adventures of a girl working in a Tavern? Not even up in the bar, where at least you get to hear exiting rumors, and gossip. Oh no, but down in the cellar, rolling out casks of Mead as they run dry, and practicing with the bung starter, imagining adventures she'd never have?

Or so I thought, whenever I got out, me Onmund, and Nevaris would spend all night playing Magelite tag. Onmund wanted to be a Wizard, just because his Da had an old staff he found in the attic. Anybody could use it, so we tried to shoot each other, and if you got hit, you were it! Onmund always said some made up incantation, pretending we was Bandits, or Soldiers, or something. Nevaris was so good at it, I always got caught, but he could just crouch in the shadows, and you'd swear he wasn't there with his Grey Elf blood.

So, I guess that's why we was friends. All misfits, a Nord who said he'd be Archmage some day, the only Dunmer in the hold for all we know, and me. A fatherless orphan reads too much.

So anyways, we was out all night, throwing rocks at the Archers out at Neugrad, and I think Onmund blinded one. When we got back to town, everbody was all excited about the Carts coming in. Not the usual supplies from Falkreath, but people, prisoners by the looks of their bonds, most of them Stormcloaks. And Imperials, I never seen so many, a Captain, and General Tullius by the way she addressed him.

"Ulfric Stormcloak," My heart lept, "Jarl of Windhelm." It was really him, trying to answer through his gag. I'd wondered, but it made sense. Why, they say he could shout a man apart with his Battle Cry! "Some here in Helgen call you a Hero, but a Hero doesn't use a power like the voice to murder his King, and Userp his Throne."

"Mnh!" I crept closer, rubbing at my tired eyes to get a better look.

"Who are you?" Behind me, another Nord, in rags was talking to Sargent Hadvaar. He was always busting us for shoplifting, or breaking curfew. "You picked a bad time to come home, Kinsman." or somethin somethin. Tchah! That bitch in the Capitain uniform was like "Forget the list, he goes to the block!" And my jaw dropped. I looked over at Ulfric, but he was talking to the general, and this thief ran, but the archers shot him, so realized this is for real. It was like a nitemare, but I couldn't wake up!

Then what's her nuts pushed down this Stormcloak, and he was so brave. I mean, he never stopped talking back, even shut up that smug priestess, and hurried it along. He was so chill, I half expected his head to roll over in the basket, spit blood in her face, and say, "Is that the best you got, you pansies?"

"Next," the Captain pointed, "The Nord in Rags!"

And then, He came. I never got to see an execution before, but even with the axe hanging over him, I couldn't help but see how beautiful He was. Magnificent. "Strun," he spoke to me, "Toor Kest!" What power, his voice like a thunderbolt, even the skies heeded his cries, and stones rained down on fire! Jah, serious!

The executioner fell, dropping his axe, and got struck down by a bursting boulder. "Mine!" I grabbed it quick, and ran like a skeever with it's tail on fire.

"Legends don't burn down Villages," The first thing I ever heard Him say.

Up the stairs, the wall burst open. "Jol," I didn't like the sound of that, "Toor'Shuul!" The tower filled with fire, so we ran back out, but at least the Dragon wasn't still in the courtyard. A Stormcloak, and that Nord guy jumped between the tower, and the burning remains of Tzolt's house.

"This way!" Ulfric waved, and led the rallying Stormcloaks toward the East Gate. The Imperials were too busy shooting arrows, and fire bolts at the sky, so we managed to smash through right before some burning logs collapsed behind us. They headded for a camp, but I went North, to the only place I knew...

{10} Fort Neugrad

I ran in the first room quick, and shut the door before they started coming back up. Must be the boss's room, cause there was a real big chest, and stuff. Not even locked, I searched trough it to find a bunch of gold, and a real shiny battleaxe.

It had kind of a blue glow, so I stuck the old sword away, and pulled it out. Must be magic, I wondered what it would do? KLUNK! The door started opening, so I got down behind the bed, and this big guy in steel armor walked in. He had a warhammer on his back, but he left it there, and wandered over to the bookshelf.

THUNK! I don't know if the magic did anything, but it sure didn't kill him, so I swung back, and forth before he could turn around, and get out his hammer. He raised it, sideways to block, and even hit me with it, but just the haft, so I had to take a step back.

He swung, so I beat him to it, and hit him first. He fell at my feet, and I took a minute to pick up his hammer. It was heavy, heavier even then my bung starter, tho it had a smaller head. I guess it was on account of it being iron, and all.

"Hey," the archer at the table turned around, and got out her bow, so I charged, and struck her down. Man, but that thing was clumsy! I shrugged, and went back to my new axe, I like it much better. Anyway, nobody heard, so I snukt around, and there was another table with some guy sitting with his back to me.

Easy breezy, I didn't have to hit him twice, but the door bust open, and this lizard guy started shooting sparks at me. He threw up some magic shield, but I cut right threw it, and the other guy circled around with his handaxe. I blocked like his boss did, and hit him with the handle to get a shot in. He recovered, but just hit me once before I backhanded him down.

"Ow!" I rubbed my arm, and put away my sword. The boss had a nice bed, so I took a quick nap until I felt better, and looted some more. Now I found some potions, a bunch of healing ones, some blue juice I don't need, and a couple of the green ones. I wished it were more, that stuff is as good as skooma for staying up all night.

Oh, and a key, so I went to see if there was a lock it fit. It was downstairs, acrost from the front door, and down the stairs was a wizard. A real one with black robes, and everthing! He stopped shoting sparks as soon as my magic axe cut through his ward, and he had to take a step back, so I cut him down.

There was another chest, but the key didn't fit it, so I left.

Sleeping Giant Inn

I took some weird turns, and came to this bandit camp high on the slope. Must've gone the wrong way, but they were easy, and had some great loot. A couple sacks of gold, and a chest, anyway. A nice warm fire, too, and a path down.

I wonder about these bandits, or all of them, really. I mean, they're not real tough if a 15 year old girl who never picked up a real weapon before yesterday can take them on 2, or 3 at a time. Maybe that's why they're bandits, it's not like you have to be good at anything, just hang out, and wait for someone to rob.

Anyway, I decided that was as good a place as any to stash my stuff a while, since it's way out in the middle of nowhere, and I can come right back. I could see a little village down there, so I changed back into clothes, so they wouldn't think I was raiding them, and climbed down.

I had a lottle money, and it was light by the time I got in there, so I went in the inn, got a room, and tried some mead. They never let me have any up in Helgen, since they all know how old I am, or they did, any way. Ah well, I don't figure I ever really liked that place anyways, but I got to wonder if Nevaris got out?

It'd be real sad, if he was dead. Onmond just missed it, left for school right before the Imperials showed up, I hope they accepted him. His da always said he should use his smarts. I'm pretty tired, though, so I better get some sleep, and see what I can find out tonight.

Riverwood

I met this guy, Sven. He's like a Bard, I guess, but he had the hots for some Imperial chick. Said if I was looking for work, they could use some help over by the mill, so I went to check it out before it got dark, and everbody went to bed. I'm not much of a day person. Anyway, there was already this elf guy, cutting some wood, and he asked if he saw me talking to Sven.

I told him I wasn't interested, and he seemed to like this Camilla lady too, but it turned out he liked her too! "Huh," a little Elf, and an Imperial, eh? "Nice bow," I guessed. I grew up around them, like any Nord kid, but never really got the hang of them. Just another way to not fit in.

"Here," he handed me a folded piece of paper, "Since you're going to see her, anyway, do you think you could give her this," he looked away, "And tell her it's from Sven?" Oh, tricky! I looked it over on the way, and it seemed clever enough. I was mostly curious to see if it would work.

She was so upset, sayed she'd never speak to Sven again, which Faendal thought was wonderful. Whatever, he said he could teach me to shoot, but I sayed "I'm not really interested, but I could use a good shooter on my adventures, if you're bored with this sleepy little town?"

"What sort of Adventures?" So I told him about Helgen, and Neugrad, and how I came to be here. He allowed as how, "Bandits Have been becoming a problem around here lately," and rubbed his bare chin. I dunno, he wasn't nothing like Nevaris, but I never knew a brown elf before, and there didn't seem like anybody better around anyway. "Sure," he nodded, "I'll give it a shot."

I had some fur armor left, a full set with even the cap, so he accepted it, and took me by his house to grab some more stuff.

{20} Jorvaskr

Faendal decided to go home, for some rest, but as I didn't want to get a room for the night, and wasn't tired, I said goodby, and went up to the Companion's longhouse. There was a brawl going on, but everbody was just watching, and not breaking them up, so I didn't neither.

The girl beat up the Grey Elf, "Yeah!" then they all seemed to notice me. The girl, Nadja didn't seemed impressed with me, even if I was rooting for her, so I talked to the big guy with the steel greatsword. He sayed that I had to go down to talk to Kodlak, even though they all say they don't got a leader, he's the one they all listen to, and who decides who get to join them. I didn't ask.

Anyway, he was down in the basement, and told this guy Vilkas to go "Test her arm." Okay, I got out my axe, and bashed his shield until he said "Okay, maybe you can make it, but I won't go so easy on you next time." Whatever, he didn't even take a swing at me, but he made me take his sword up to the skyforge, and I got to meet Eorlund. He said I had to prove myself before I could get him to do any smith work for me, and gave me a shield to take to Aela.

Whatever, I guess everbody had to do this stuff when they joined, but I couldn't help but think they was thinking "Sure little girl, you can be one of us, no take these dishes to the kitchen." OoohhH! I wanted to punch someone, but Aela was nice. She joked around a little, asked if I could take Vilkas in a real fight.

"Idaknow," I shrugged, "I never seen him fight."

She frowned, "You might be smarter than you look." I swallowed it. "Farkas!" the guy with her called, and that guy with the great sword came up. He showed me where I could crash, and asked if I was looking for work.

"Yeah!" I wasn't tired yet, "That's what I'm here for!" So he sent me down to the stables to beat some guy up. "Okay," I shrugged, went ot find him, and beat him up. He was so weak, barely scruffed the fur on my armor, so I went back to see him, and he sent me back to Skjor. Then, me, and Farkas went out for a real mission. Finally, all this running around wasn't very tiring, but it sure was boring.



Dustman's Cairn

"Okay?" I looked around, "Uh, you dropped your sword!" I held it out to him.

"Why don't you hang onto it a while?" he shrugged, and took my Iron one. "From what I saw, you need it more than me."

"Wow," I turned it in my hands, "Really?"

"Tell you what," he laughed, "You don't tell anybody about what you just saw, and it's your's."

"Okay!" I grinned, "Your secret's safe with me!"

"Come on," he took off, "There's still the Draugr to worry about." Oh yeah, Draugr. I heard about them, but all the crypts, and halls of the dead I ever been in before just had Bandits raiding them, or at worst skeletons, but these ice mummies were tough. As soon as we came down a level, two of them even blew frost from their hands, and sapped my arms. Yeah, that had to be it, I'm just not used to this kind of fight, like that freezing ghost, thing, whatever up on the mountain.

But ooooh, as soon as i got to swing that Skyforge Steel, I knew what everbody was talking about. I was in love, for the fist time in my life, I wasn't scared, all I needed was this, and something to swing it into. Draugr, Silver hand, didn't matter. They all fell to the might in my hands!

quote psiberzerker

quote the_FAMAS_pro

Hey psiberzerker, i'm not trying to be a (dragon) grammar nazi, but i think it's "yol"
oh and...no offense,but your character looks...creepy.

Jol, with a Nordic twist, and it would technically be Speling Nazi. It's spelled in the Dragon Glyph character set (Which unfortunately isn't reproducable in ASCII, believe me, I tried cutting, and pasting from all 3 Wiki sites) so the English spelling is about as official as the translation of Marduk from Cuneiform. And finally, she is, as previously noted, a lousy Speler, especially this early in her writing. The creepyness is intentional, she's the Fantasy Equivalent of a Goth.

riiiight, in one of the posts, she said she's a writer, and this is her diary of a sort..cool. If i play as women, i make one with a pretty face in heavy imperial armor and is of course, an imperial armed with a Skyforge steel sword. YOU DO NOT WANNA CHEAT ON THIS CHICK. Anyway,will you add the rest tomorrow? le me going to sleep in about 5 minutes.

{50} {Note, Major Ret-con coming}

"Margot?" I turned, a snarl on my lips, then let my hand fall, empty from over my shoulder.

"Nevaris!" I ran up, and hugged him, "You made it out alive!?"

"Good to see you too," He stepped back, and put away his Bow.

"Oh," I grinned, "It's Dread Fall, now."

"What is?" His ash grey face fell in a frown.

"My name!" He looked tired.

He chuckled, "Way to turn around your teasing." They used to call me "Dreadful Margot" when I was a kid. I never had friends before, Nevaris showed up.

"So we're Refugees, now," I guessed.

"Now you know how I always felt." he nodded.

"Well," i thought, "Better get going."

"Where?' he shook his head.

"Riften," I decided, "I'm going to join the Thieve's Guild."

Riften

"Uh!" that water stank. Nevaris wrung out his sleeves, but at least we got around to the docks. "Can you believe the guards tried to shake us down to get in?"

He laughed, "I get the feeling this is that kind of city," and nodded. So, we had to sneak into this warehouse, it really smelt of mead, but I kept looking back at Nevaris. Even right behind me, he never made a sound.

Nobody said nothing about us coming out behind the counter, so we went out, and we were in Riften! Nice try, guards. Anyway, the market was right there, and we ran into this redhead guy, who talked in circles.

"I don't know you, and I know everyone in Riften. You didn't earn that armor you're wearing, or I would know you." He allowed as how we might could make some money if we helped him with a little job he had going.

Good thing Nevaris knows his way around some tumblers, because there was a couple locks to pick while Brynjolf made a distraction, and I looked out for the guards. Then, he handed over the ring for me to plant on the other guy. I snuck up behind the crates ok, but then he felt my hand, and called the guards!

So, I got to see where the jail was. They took the money, and and the guild armor, but let me go. By then, it was dark, but Nevaris met me at the empty market, and said Brynjolf decided to give us another chance. All we had to do is make it down to a bar down in the Ratway, wherever that is.

The Ratway

It was dark, and wet, and smelly, but I could hear some guys talking ahead over the dripping water. Nevaris pulled his bow, the weird one he said was from his father, from Morrowind. It's got this stick down the middle, to hold the arrow, and he held it up to his shoulder, but that ment he could carry it loaded. I snuckt around to behind the archer, with a green leafy bow, and carefully raised my axe. THUNK!

He staggared, "I'll get you!" the guy he was talking to pulled a mace, and shield, so I stepped back with my haft up, and THUNK! Nevaris shot him. I bashed his sheild, then hammered at it until he kneeled, then brought my axe down. The other archer got up, but Nevaris shot him, and reloaded his bow before hanging it on his back.

We found a drawbridge, but it was up, so we had to drop down. We followed a tunnel to the side, and there was a locked gate, so Nevaris unlocked it for us. I gave him all the lockpicks I got off all the bandits, on account of I wasn't using them, and he kept breaking his. Anyway, we went up these stairs, and there was this other guy Nevaris shot, and he flew back with this surprised look on his dead face.

At last we made it to the Ragged Flagon.