User:Damon/Andre's Journal

I decided to make a new character in Oblivion. A change from being a warrior all the time. This time, I wanted to do it differently though. In this play-through, I am going to hardcore roleplay as much of it as I can. I have always lightly roleplayed, because it's more interesting than just fast traveling and working 24/7, but it was always lightly. Sleep here and there. Eat a meal once every few days when I remembered, etc. This time, I am going to do everything roleplayed. A strict eating and sleeping schedule. Stopping in each town I see to take a break. Actually socializing with people, etc.

This character is a Breton named "Andre Riscel", and I wrote this journal more for my own benefit in order to create a real character, than for actually being read by others, but as I need a place to store it, here it is. As you will read in the journal, Andre is a stealth-combat hybrid. He can fight with the best of them, but he is also a thief.

Description

Rules of the Roleplay

1. Sit down (when applicable) and eat at least two decent sized meals a day. (Decent constituted a piece of meat, a veggie, and a piece of fruit)
2. At least 7 hours of sleep each day.
3. Rest in each city that is visited for a least a little bit. (This can obviously be skipped if I have an urgent reason.)
4. Never steal from the less fortunate. This includes beggars, homes with lower quality items inside, and stores with lower quality merchandise (Like Jensine's for example). Nobles and the Vaults of Cyrodiil are fair game, because Nobles have plenty of goods they don't need.
5. Never completely empty a store, no matter the quality of merchandise, because a high end merchant end up in just as bad shape as a beggar if he has no wares to sell.
6. At the end of the month, two-fifths of the money I have will be dispersed amongst beggars food sacks.
7. Help those in need real need of it. Like the farmers outside Chorrol whose home has been overtaken by the goblins. They need it. Petty merchant disputes, for example, aren't worth the effort, unless I am feeling generous.
8. Never Murder. I am not an assassin or a murderer. Killing in self-defense is acceptable, as long as I wasn't the cause of the attack (ex. A Bandit or other naturally hostile unit). If there is a hostile unit, he has to engage first. If I am attacked for trespassing or some other crime that *I* committed, I am to flee the area without killing the person. He is, after all, an innocent who is just doing his job or defending his home.
9. Death ends the play through. This is a rule I had from the start, but missed when I was copying and pasting stuff into the page.

Mods

(Links added later)

1. All mods on my mods page, plus a few new ones.
2. Pilotable ship
3. Crowded Cities and Streets
4. Heroes of Cyrodiil
5. Deadlier Sneaking
6. Hunger and Sleep

Andre's Journal

First Entry

For the past three years, as I sailed the waters of Tamriel, I have kept a journal, ever since a wise, youthful elf told me that to learn from your past, you have to know who you are. This advice has stuck with me, and to that end, since the day we met in Valenwood, I have kept a journal. But, that tome has run out of pages, so I must start afresh as I approach Cyrodiil on my ship, Northpoint's Pride.

I was raised in High Rock to Breton nobility, although it has never suited me. For the longest time, I felt trapped amongst the scholars and politicians of Northpoint. I was a more adventurous sort, choosing to sneak out at night to roam the streets, although my parents and the local guard always disapproved. Mother would always tell me how preparing for university was a far better use of my time then sneaking around in the shadows of the manor and learning swordplay with my friend, Julius, and his father Roberto, the Captain of the Guard. With Mother in one ear, and Father in the other ear forcing politics into me, when I came of age, I left with my friend Julius to go explore High Rock. We were an inseparable pair. With his mastery at the sword, and my talent for sneaking and marksmanship, there was nothing we couldn't handle. Or, so we thought…

About a year after we left, we were near Daggerfall when a group of bandits ambushes us. It was a fierce fight, one that we inevitably lost. Julius was killed, while I was severely wounded and held prisoner. After about two weeks of meager meals and sleeping in chains in the back of a carriage, My father and his friends found us while out on a hunting trip, and I was ransomed off. Father took me home, and he had Mother wouldn't let me out of their sight for months. Honestly, I was surprised that I was still considered part of the family. I was a small time adventurer-thief, who was throwing away the kind of life that everyone dreamt of. Hot food. Money. An education.

Father hired a few members of the Fighters Guild to guard the manor, and under guard, I attended the local university, where I studied (of course) science, history, literature, and politics. I grudgingly finished University, and took an apprenticeship with a ship maker, where I learned navigation for a few years. With the money I had, and an inheritance from my deceased grandfather, I purchased a galleon from the ship maker, and I christened it Northpoint's Pride. I then departed to set sail for other provinces of Tamriel. There isn't much to tell in this entry. Those details have been recorded in my first journal, which I started in Valenwood about a year and a half after I left, at the suggestion of Lightfoot.

As I mentioned in my first journal, since this is important to me, and I want to carry over to this journal, is that eight months ago, I returned to Northpoint. I was expecting a warm welcome, but that isn't what I received. Mother was dying. She had contracted Black-Heart Blight, and was down to a day or two at best. I was crushed. We never got along, but she was my mother after all. She had given birth to me. She had raised me to be the best I could be, and what did I give her in return? Nothing! I was an unruly teenager and a runaway who left to go satisfy my own craving for adventure.

As I wept at her bed side, apologizing for my behavior and regret, she passed with a smile on her face. It felt like a weight hit me. I went to the funeral the next day, but afterwards, I couldn't stay in the house. In order to please Mother, I stayed in town, took a job at the University, and I lived out of the Pride, so as not to suffer in that house of regret.

After about a week, she came to me in a vision. She apologized, saying she only wanted what was best for me, and that she was too hard on me. She said that she was only trying to give me a life she never had as a poor Jeweler's daughter before meeting my father. She reached out for me, smiling, and I awoke wearing a gold amulet. I don't know what Mother's Amulet did, but I was able to recover from my gloom, and, with her post-mortem blessing, I left on the Pride to travel to Tamriel, with her spirit guiding me.

What I did was varied, to say the least. I would do the most honorable of noble deeds, like helping the poor or saving the innocent from unjust punishment, or I would rob houses and vaults.

My First Mate tells me that we are arriving in the Imperial City now, so it's off to the Temple of the One, and off to find food.

Second Entry

The Imperial City. The Capital of Uriel Septim's Empire. It's amazing! There are lots of people to talk to, lots of shops to see, and there is plenty of entertainment. After circling around the Imperial City in Northpoint's Pride, I settled on landing on a small dock outside the Arcane University. It's a good ways away though, and looking at the surrounding areas, The boat and my possessions are safe there.

When I disembarked from the Pride, I followed the footpath past the Arcane University, and ended up in the Waterfront District. A poor, lesser visited part of town. There were shacks, a poor inn, and a pirate ship, of all things! After looking around, I was shocked that so many people could so poorly in the capital city. There are plenty of opportunities, for those who will take them. Why don't they? Are they pleased to live in poverty begging for coins and food?

I left the Waterfront through the tunnel pathway to the Temple District of the Imperial City, where I finally spotted a Legionnaire, and asked for directions. Upon receiving them, I traveled to the Temple of the One for prayer, and left for Market. I browsed the shops, finding nothing particularly interesting, except for a jeweled amulet that was just left sitting out on the counter at Jensine's shop, a few alchemical tools in a staff shop, and an armor store.

I was attacked by a mugger leaving the Merchant's Inn to do the hits. The attack was sudden, and I wasn't going to suit up in armor until I was nearer the shops, so I wouldn't draw suspicion. If it wasn't for the Legion, I'd be dead. I took her chain mail and Mithril gear, and I returned to each of the store to swipe Jensine's amulet. Despite there being other things of value, most of her product was low quality, so I left with just the amulet. I stole the tools from the staff shop, but my last pick broke trying to open a display case to take some soul gems. The night was over, since I don't know yet where I can buy lockpicks in the Imperial City. I guess it's time to turn in for the night...

Third Entry

I went into the sewers, having heard a rumor of there being creatures down there, and I killed a few goblins with my bow to gather the weapons to sell, and thankfully, I found lockpicks as well. It's no substitute for a store though, so I don't intend to return for lockpicks only, but, at least the goblins and rats aren't a problem in the Elven Gardens anymore.

When I finally got out of the murky mess, I went immediately to change into some regular clothes, and I went to the Arena. It's barbaric! Men and women fight each other to the death to earn some money! When did it become acceptable to kill other men or mer for sport? For greed? It sickens me how hundreds gather daily to place bets on matches. If that money is burning a hole so badly in their pockets, they should find a charity or just give it away.

I followed the rumor wheel today, and I heard that the Gray Fox, the supposed leader of the local Thieves Guild, centers his operations around the Waterfront, and I can find contacts there. And, maybe a fence to drop this stuff I stole last night?

I have never cared for guilds, and I have never joined any, but the local Thieves Guild seems to be a nice change from the other Thieves Guild branches. The Gray Fox protects and takes care of the beggars. Maybe I should check it out. A beggar tells me that I can meet a representative of the guild at Midnight each night, so I am going to have to meet him.

Fourth Entry

Well, the last many days have been eventful to say the least. I have joined the Guild. The Doyen Armand gave me and two other hopefuls a simple test. Retrieve Amantius Allectus' diary, and I came out on top. Now that I am in, I know the location of a fence. Ongar lives in Bruma, on the border to Skyrim however, so I must fence goods to him if I seek advancement in the guild.

When I finished the test, I departed and selected three stores to lift from. The Gilded Carafe, The Mystic Emporium, and The Main Ingredient. While I was there, I lifted several hundred dollars worth of alchemical tools, as well as plenty of ingredients, both of which I needed badly. In The Gilded Carafe, I found an intriguing key labeled "Vault". I searched the store throughly, but found no vault. Presumably, it is off-site. I will have to keep an eye out for any indication of where this vault exists at, as well as seeing if the other shops have keys as well. I might be able to make the big break that I have been waiting for. I can only assume that if such a set of vaults exist, they will be heavily guarded, so careful planning would be required before I take any additional keys or look for the vaults, should they exists.

Lastly, As I was walking around the Isle early this morning getting some fresh air, I noticed a fellow hiding behind some rocks on the northwest side of the Imperial City. His name is Shady Sam, and while he won't accept any of my stolen alchemy tools, he does have an assortment of potions and poisons, as well as a stash of lockpicks. I finally have a lockpick supplier!

Fifth Entry

I haven't written an entry in here for over a week! A long time, considering how I normally write so frequently. Well, I went and scouted out three other shops, and they all have vault keys! When I was digging through Jensine's shop, I found an invoice stating that she has to patch up a place in the sewers. The sewers? Curious. I am going to investigate the sewers tonight, and see if I can find anything of note. I also overpaid for a house. It cost me 2,000 Septims, which I thought was cheap for being in the Imperial City. Turned out it was a shack on the Waterfront. Oh well, I have a place to stash goods in the Waterfront, as well as a home for those who need it, as I primarily sleep on my ship after offloading my stolen goods.

And, earlier today, as I took a morning walk to wind down before bed, I found a stray dog wandering the Market District. He seems incredibly friendly, and as I have been feeling particularly lonely lately, I decided to keep him and name him Jak.

Sixth Entry

I found the vaults. There is an entrance into Jensine's from the sewer, and after a quick glance around, all the vaults appear to be in the same large room. The lock to Jensine's, and presumably the rest, will ONLY accept the key. They are unpickable locks. I plan on taking all the keys from the Market, or as many as I can find, and then the next night, I am going to break in, haul off what I can, and… No. That wouldn't work… If I don't do it in the same night, They'll notice the keys are gone and tighten security. I will have to grab and rob on the same night.

We have a problem though. I gave the last 100 Septims I had to Puny in the Waterfront, and now I am down to 45 Septims and only about 15 lockpicks. I'll need to gather what I have and travel to Bruma to meet Ongar a little early, because small change from shop keepers is not going to enable me to rob the vault. At least, not quickly…

Seventh Entry

I went to the King and Queen's Tavern in the Elven Gardens for the first time after hearing from a priest how good the food their was. It wasn't of the quality the family's chef would make back in Northpoint, but it was decent. After I left, I ran into an Argonian looking for a companion. His name is Blue Wind. He is a warrior who believed in performing good deeds and praying regularly, but I doubt he would approve of my version of charity. He seems like a nice guy, so I will let him join me, but I shall keep from him how I "acquire" my wealth.

I brought him back to the Pride and I gathered Jak and my loot from the last several nights, and we are about to set off on foot for Bruma.

End of Journal (Death of Andre)

After departing from the Imperial City, Andre, Blue Wind, and the faithful dog Jak stopped at the Wawnet Inn, to grab some wine to drink on the road. When they got to the crossroad at the Red Ring Road near the Chorrol route, the trio were ambushed by a group of mages and bandits. Despite help from a Legion patrol, the suddenness of the attack, and the fact that the mages' summoned ghosts were immune to the iron and steel weapons they possessed, all three and one Legionnaire perished before the others managed to kill the Mages. (Despite death, I know the outcome of the fight, because I have Lynge's Unlimited Death Reload Time, which doesn't pull up the pause menu until you push ESC, which meant I was able to observe the outcome.)

All in all, it was a decent play though, in my opinion, except for the part where I could have been a little more careful about the distribution of my wealth. The house seemed like a good idea at the time, although in hindsight, it was useless, because I had the boat mod, which I stayed at anyways.

And, if you read this, Jak Atackka, the dog is named after a dog I had in real life that he looked like, not you, although you're a pretty cool guy... for an Elf.