>>881523
Last thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/850521/

When we left off, you had been tending to the wounded soldiers inside your camp, hoping to get people back on their feet before the Nord invasion of Culotte in just one day. Although you thought that the endeavour would ultimately be positive, you were accosted by the leader of the expedition from Miscarcand (your home city), Aynriel, who has hauled you away to his tent for disobeying his orders and being impudent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4jK0-fyhv4

You find yourself being led through the makeshift streets of the encampment by two heavily-armoured guards; their tight hands grip you around your arms, and you are helpless to do anything but submit to their brute strength. Most men around the camp don't pay attention to you, but some - those that you know - whisper to others and give you apprehensive glances. One that you recognize is your friend Silcatar - although in the middle of lifting bags of supplies out of a cart, he stops with a bag in his hands and stares at you. There is worry in his eyes. You meet his gaze, and smile sardonically.

Before long, you are thrown through the open tent flaps of what you assume to be Aynriel's tent. As you hit the surface of the floor, the wind is knocked out of you and you find yourself lacking the strength to rise. Laying on the carpeted floor, you muster the energy to lift your head and look around. There is a table with several chairs to the right of you; a lavish bed to your left, and all around you are ornaments and weapons of Ayleid making - to your slightly trained eye, they appear to be relics of some kind.

A voice from outside enters the tent.
"You just wait right here. Aynriel will be with you momentarily."

>A. Try to stand (40)
>B. Wait until Aynriel arrives
>C. Ask for help to stand

Also, apparently there was another Elder Scrolls quest at some point ran by a QM called Lorkhan. Just wanted to clarify that it wasn't me, and I didn't know about it prior to this.

>>881577
>B. Wait until Aynriel arrives

>>881596
Unable to rise to your feet, you concede to wait until Aynriel comes. Two minutes pass, and you hear the clanking of his armour approach until it stands directly behind you.

You half expect a kick to the ribs, but it never comes. Instead, you find yourself face to face with Aynriel, who has bent down to meet you. His stern face shows no emotion, but his eyes glow - with what emotion, you aren't able to tell.
His pursed lips open.

"It's been a long time since I was openly defied like that. Who do you think you are, firstly disobeying my orders and secondly outright refusing them in the manner that you did?"

Before you're able to perform with a clever retort, Aynriel grips you by the neck of your robe and lifts you up onto your feet. You struggle momentarily, but regain your composure as your strength comes back to you. However, without your staff, your bones feel sore and you have a hard time staying straight.

Aynriel walks over to the wooden table and pours a single cup of red liquid into a glass and drinks it. He sets the pitcher down and glosses over a map sprawled out onto the table.

"Sit", he says.

You make your way over to the table and sit in front of him. He bends over the table and examines the map further. Looking at it with your own eyes, you notice that it is a map of the region. The cartographer has spared no attention to detail - accurately (you expect) and intricately mapping the region.

"The Nords are going to descend upon us here." Aynriel points to a location on the map just above what represents Culotte. "As we are now, we stand a good chance of driving them back. But had we sent my missives, we could have summoned more soldiers from Abagarlas in time to be victorious in a single fight. Luckily for you, I sent those missives an hour ago when I realised that you weren't coming."

"Then what was the point of this?" you ask, looking up at Aynriel.

"To teach you something. That in war, some things are worth more than others. My missives, for example, were worth more than the lives of a few foolish soldiers who failed on the battlefield."

>A. This hasn't taught me anything. Only that you're willing to sacrifice lives in order to pursue your goals
>B. You've realised the error of your ways
>C. If you could just send the missives yourself, why did you ask me to do it?

>B. You've realised the error of your ways

I mean, he is right to an extent. Better to summon more soldiers to fight, then tending to wounded who cannot aid you in battle.

>A. This hasn't taught me anything. Only that you're willing to sacrifice lives in order to pursue your goals

>>881696
>>A. This hasn't taught me anything. Only that you're willing to sacrifice lives in order to pursue your goals
>>881696
experienced soldiers are better then unproven soldiers

>>881758
"I see. I suppose I've learned the errors of my way, Aynriel."

The Ayleid would-be-king raises his eyebrow and frowns.

"I suspect that you haven't. But you're free to go. Before you do, though, I'm curious to see how you feel about the upcoming battle. You're supposed to stay off of the field, supplying aid and healing to those in need of it. I wonder, how does this make you feel? Would you rather be taking the fight right to the enemy?"

You think it over, and address Aynriel.

>A. What I'm doing is necessary; the wounded must be tended to
>B. I'd rather be fighting for my people

>>881814
>B. I'd rather be fighting for my people

Time to kill some Nards.

>>881819
We warrior-poet now.

>B. I'd rather be fighting for my people

File: Dwemer gods.jpg (112 KB, 927x675)

112 KB JPG

>>881814
"I'd rather be on the field fighting for my people", you say.

"For your people? What is there to "your people"? They are debased. A vast undertaking must shape them, change them, pull them into line. Should I become king of Miscarcand, the Ayleid "people" as we know them will cease to exist. We will transform our empire from a union of independent city-states and into a complete whole. Only with complete unification can we achieve victory.
But I admire your dedication. I'll see to it that you're given a set of armour by tonight. You are free to go."

Aynriel rises from hunching over the table, and turns his back to you, examining some ornaments of his.

>A. Leave (to do what?)
>B. Ask Aynriel about his ambitions
>C. Go see Silcatar

>B. Ask Aynriel about his ambitions

Want to know of his mind, what he believes in, what he's leading us into battle for.

>>881919
You hesitate, but bring the conversation back, and direct it towards Aynriel.

"Before I go, Aynriel - why are you doing this? Leading us to battle? Funding the expedition and offering a reward for this? Why not just wait until the Nords reach Miscarcand or attack the north from there? There is a common opinion of you, if you do not mind me saying so...that you're doing this for personal gain."

Aynriel is quiet. He turns a silver coin in his hand, staring down at it and then places it upon the table before clearing his throat.

"I cannot hide that there is ambition underlying in my motives. That I wish to see myself upon the throne of Miscarcand - nay, a throne in Abagarlas, ruling over the known world. But it is a limited selfishness. I couldn't expect you, or anyone else to understand my reasons. When I walk through the halls of our city, I don't see a prominent and powerful people or culture. I see degradation, addiction, torture and worthlessness. The King has strayed from his path, just like everyone else in a position of power in this rotten land. He spends his days feasting and his nights in bed with harems, or watching Nedic people slaughtered and tortured in bloodsports and rituals.

As for defending Culotte - Wayniel, the city's king - has vowed to make a political pact with Miscarcand should we aid in protecting against the Nord invasion. He hasn't quite woken up to the dangers of our own selves, but he'll get there eventually. I seek to instate a council bordering Cyrod which would unify our people and implement a provincial government. Perhaps with a figurehead like myself at the helm, we might stand a chance at not only crushing the Nordic invaders but reforming our own culture."

Aynriel picks the silver coin up again and paces around the room, settling down on his bed.

"Our people have been comfortable for far too long. And now that we have an existential threat knocking on our door, they are still nigh to care. Determined military action is the only way to solve this crises. If we can push everyone closer together through military pacts, we can secure a ruling government that mandates everything province-wide, rather than leaving it up to the individual states themselves. For that reason, I will forgo my own personal wealth amassed throughout my life and fund these military campaigns until my dying breath, should I be so unlucky."

>A. You sympathise with his reasoning and hope that he becomes king
>B. It's better to leave rule of law up to the individual city-states
>C. You will defy him if he continues this plan

>>881978
>A. You sympathise with his reasoning and hope that he becomes king

What Aynriel said struck a chord with me. I have my doubts that he's being truthful about the full breadth of his ambitions but he's definitely a convicted man and I can respect that. Best to watch him as this war unfolds but mot necessarily support him either.

File: Camoran.jpg (144 KB, 765x1045)

144 KB JPG

>>882231
You weigh the sincerity of Aynriel's words over in your mind; he appears to be a man of stalwart conviction, but you doubt that his ambitions are entirely noble.

"I sympathize with you, Aynriel. For too long we have allowed decline to march on our doorsteps. You may become king yet, if you continue with speeches like that."

Aynriel turns to you and rises from his bed.

"I will not rest until it is so, Niyalata. Go, retrieve your staff from the infirmary and prepare for tomorrow. May Meridia shine upon you with starlight so bright that it reveals and banishes all the darkness in the years to come."

[End updates]

Thanks for playing, everyone. I might run again tomorrow or much later.

>>882327
Dammit I missed the whole thing :(. Yeah this guy seems OK, I can see us sucking his cock.
Is our staff making us weaker?

File: Vehk and Bal.jpg (14 KB, 225x225)

14 KB JPG

>>882373
>Is our staff making us weaker?

>>882373
We are bleeding ourselves to heal others. We are slowly dying due to blood loss

>>882651
Nah, that isn't the cause. You replenish the blood as soon as your magicka returns.

Saw someone mentioned this in /tgesg/ but I was a bit late to join. I'll try next time OP.

>>886093
Thanks, no worries.

Bump. Might run in a few hours.

You wouldn't happen to be the same DM running that Elder Scrolls Quest about a month ago, right? He also went by the Lorkhan handle.

>>901205
Nope. Legitimately pure coincidence. I go by Lorkhan on a lot of social media and whatnot, and never even knew that another TES quest being QM'd by someone with the same moniker.

Also, apologies to anyone who wants me to run. I've been working a lot more than usual and Final Fantasy XV came out so I haven't really found the time.

>>901208
Dang. Was hoping that DM would return. The quest pretty much died in what it looked like was beginning to be the rising action. Anyways looking forwards to this quest, real great job. Keep it up!

>>901212
Thanks a lot for your kind words, Anon. I haven't had a lot of motivation to keep this running because it's slow, and not many people join in, but I really want to tell the story I have in mind.

Maybe I'll check out that other quest for pointers on what to do/don't do.

>>901215
That's precisely what I think killed that quest. Lack of participation. /qst/ has had several Elder Scrolls themed quests that all die from that. I guess people just don't like Elder Scrolls stuff around here.

>>901223
Yeah. Which seems really peculiar, considering /tg/ has pretty successful Elder Scrolls lore threads rather often.

Oh well. I'll try to ride this out until the end.

>>901226
Unfortunately, not a lot of folks from/tg/ bother to come here.

>>901232
I pretty much came over here due to Dragonball Quest. Then had a discussion in a thread about running an Elder Scrolls themed one, and here I am.

Is /tg/ still mad about the split? I thought it was a good idea, honestly.

>>901235
It divided many. Most die hard questfags moved to /qst/ or Anonkun. The rest simply let quests go and never looked back.

>>901235
>>901226
qst was a mistake cuz it allowed faglords and losers who just abandon shit on a whim an outlet. On tg or anonkun there's a board culture and they know their shit.