Private The Grand Adventure (IC)

[Farthlion]

"I fear we may run into trouble again, so any advice you can give me on the road would be great," Farth smiled, "Perhaps tonight we can find something to swing at.... if bandits don't kill me by then of course."

"How far is Riverwood from here, Freyr?" The bard questioned upon noticing the tension in the group. He had caused some of it, and therefore felt the need to repair any damage he could.

 

[Rextoret]

"I fear we may run into trouble again, so any advice you can give me on the road would be great, perhaps tonight we can find something to swing at.... if bandits don't kill me by then of course." Sorex looked at Farth and said, "Don't worry too much. I doubt any bandits we find can beat this entire group." Sorex pulled out his sword to demonstrate some tips on proper sword handling. "Put your hand like this, diagonal across your grip. Now grip it, but not to tightly. If you grip the handle too tightly you won't get good movement with it. Too lightly, and it will go flying out of your hand in a battle. The key is to find the perfect in-between for you. Understand?"

 

[Farthlion]

Farth unsheathed his left sword with his right hand, attempting to mimic Sorex's instructions. He carefully gripped the sword and practiced slashing the air in front of him, slightly loosening his hand on the hilt after a few tries.

"I understand. That indeed makes a difference - it is an easier movement."

 

[Envii]

"How far is Riverwood from here, Freyr?"

Freyr made a face as he pondered Farth's question. "it would have been less than a day from had the dragon not burned Helgen to the ground" He said grimly.

"The only where there lies through a small rocky hunting path to the south of Helgen. It winds through the mountains and will lead aus right to the steps of the guardian stones" he said, his eyes smiling as he remembered his first trip to the stones as a boy. His father had taken him, when he was only a boy...before he had left that is. It was one of Freyr's most treasured memories.

"After that we can just followthe river and it will lead us right into the town." he said.

Has everyone seen the guardian stones?" he asked the group?

 

[Gentleman Adventurer]

Relyn looked around, no one seemed to be looking at him. Slipping back into the lead, he continued to walk. "I have indeed visited the Guardian Stones. I don't know about you all. They're on the path into Riverwood, so no harm in stopping there. Look at the scenery, admire the carvings, gain an advanced form of magical power... You know, the usual stuff." Relyn turned to look at the group. "No objections then?" He said, before any of them could actually object. "Great. Onward!"

 

[Aerin]

"Has everyone seen the guardian stones?"

Elsa looked at Freyr with wide eyes. "The Guardian Stones? Really? We'll be visiting them today?" A gleeful smile spread across the young girl's face as she realised that she would be able to visit such a place. "Oh that's..I mean I've obviously never...wow, just...wow." Instantly her mind was transported, wondering exactly which blessing she would ask for, would she feel anything? What would they look like in person...her father had always spoken with great reverence when she had asked about the stones. He had promised to take her there himself when she turned eighteen. He never got the chance but she still had one.

 

[Farthlion]

Farth shook his head in response to Freyr, "I have not even heard of these stones before."

"I have indeed visited the Guardian Stones. I don't know about you all. They're on the path into Riverwood, so no harm in stopping there. Look at the scenery, admire the carvings, gain an advanced form of magical power... You know, the usual stuff."

The Redguard became slightly interested when he heard they were magic. As was natural for his race, he found magic to be unnatural, but as was natural for a bard, he found it to be intriguing. He swung his sword several times, getting used to the feeling, memorizing how this grip on the hilt felt.

"Exactly what power is gained?" Farth asked curiously. As a bard, he was not a power hungry being, but the idea of magic being out there naturally was an exciting idea... one that could be made into a story or poem!

 

[Aerin]

"Exactly what power is gained?"

"Oh, it's wonderful. You're supposed to visit as a child you see. There are three stones, Warrior, Thief and Mage. Each one offers a different blessing that will aid you in the pursuit of one of the three pathways. I never got to go living in Cyrodiil so I never received a blessing. Just meant I had to work a little harder."

Elsa was gesturing wildly with her hands as she spoke, her excitement clear as she thought about the pilgrimage she'd never made. "You should receive a blessing Farth, maybe that of the warrior...help with you burgeoning sword skills."

 

[Rextoret]

"Guardian stones?" Sorex said. "I know of them, but I have never seen them." Sorex knew that they were magical stones that conferred powers. The mage, the thief and the warrior. Sorex went over them in his mind and choose the mage. He decided that he would 'use' the stone when they got there.

 

[Gentleman Adventurer]

Relyn cleared his throat as he continued to lead the group to their destination, and chimed into the conversation between Elsa and Farthlion. "The Guardian Stones are three of the fabled Standing Stones of Skyrim. Each one is named after and bestows a blessing of the constellations. They're actually quite popular amongst scholars and mages. No one has any idea who built them, and an ancient magic is bestowed to those who pray there."

He looked ahead. He could see a vague outline of the stones in the distance, but they were still a good distance away from the party. "The Guardian Stones increase your effectiveness with a certain skill set, while other Standing Stones have more specific enchantments. I have gained a few of their blessings before, however I prefer not to be under it's aid for too long. Takes the challenge out of my studies."

 

[Farthlion]

"You think? I could use whatever help possible on this journey," he smiled warmly at the young Nord girl. Suddenly a thought occurred to him, "Does obtaining this blessing hurt?"

Farth felt an odd weight leave his back and a thud on the ground. He looked back, seeing one of his bags was on the ground. Immediately sheathing his sword, he bent down and picked up his bag from the ground, taking both of the straps and tying them together carefully. He tugged on the straps and tested to make sure they wouldn't budge this time. After determining his handiwork was done to his standards, Farth swung the bag back on his shoulder and continued on.

 

[Envii]

"Oh, it's wonderful. You're supposed to visit as a child you see. There are three stones, Warrior, Thief and Mage. Each one offers a different blessing that will aid you in the pursuit of one of the three pathways. I never got to go living in Cyrodiil so I never received a blessing. Just meant I had to work a little harder."

"You've..You've never visited the stones?" Said Freyr slightly sympathetically." Im sure the other Nords in your village must have teased you about that."

It was rare for a Nord to not have visited the stones. Honor and tradition were an integral part of a Nord's life and the tradition of the Guradian stones was one of their most ancient.

"it will indeed be a special day for you" he said smiling at her. He knew that relations with her and the rest of the group were still fragile and tried his best to be friendly.

Freyr noticed that Relyn seemed to have slipped ahead of him and was crashing his way through the forest.

"Careful or we may not make it to the stones" he said curtly in Relyns direction

 

[Aerin]

"Does obtaining this blessing hurt?"

"No idea, but that's part of the fun right? Not knowing what it's going to be like?" Sighing happily she imagined the feeling to be like bathing in the warm light of the sun. At least she hoped it would feel like that, better than a burning sensation.

"You've..You've never visited the stones? I'm sure the other Nords in your village must have teased you about that."

Nodding Elsa offered a weak smile. "Yeah they did...but there wasn't much I could do about it. I don't have any shame in it though. My entire life has been a challenge, I'm not going to back down just because I was never blessed at the stones. To me there was honour in remaining without a blessing."

 

[Gentleman Adventurer]

Relyn scoffed at Freyr's comment. "I can navigate Skyrim, you know. I've lived here for over one hundred years! Look, the stones are over there, in the distance." The Dunmer pointed toward three stones jutting out of the landscape. The others stared at him. "What?" Relyn looked a bit closer.

"Oh. I appear to have been leading us to the wrong location. For the last..." Relyn cast a clairvoyance spell. "Twenty minutes or so. It'll only take us about fifteen minutes to reach them from where we are, though, so no need to worry." Freyr gave him another look. "I'll just let you take over, Freyr." Relyn sheepishly bowed out of the way and let the Nord take the lead.

 

[Farthlion]

"No idea, but that's part of the fun right? Not knowing what it's going to be like?"

Farth just hoped it wouldn't be painful. Magic was strange enough, painful magic was just uncomfortable.... maybe he could have Elsa do it first so he would know beforehand.

Farth walked in silence following Freyr until he came upon 3 large stones, which he supposed were the guardian stones judging by the carvings and pictures in them. Plus they just gave off a magical feeling to them. He looked at the rest of the group in question.

 

[Envii]

Freyr rested his foot lightly against the steps of the guardian stone, gazing up at the beauty of the carvings. Behind them the lake twinkled in the morning sun giving them a glistening appearance. He placed his feet in front of the thief stone and said "here. Right here is where i was. Nine years old and my father took me here". Smiling he ran his hand over the stone. The stones blessing had always been with him and it comforted to know that something was watching over him. "Step up here farth" he said gesturing to the large bard who stood slightly nervously at the bottom of the steps

 

[Farthlion]

While he was going to wait for Elsa to go first, a sudden jolt of courage shot through him, and Farth felt the stone with the engraving of a man bearing a shield and an axe calling to him. He went to stand next to Freyr, swallowing in his nervousness.

 

[Rextoret]

Sorex walked up to the stone with a mage on it and said, "Hell, why not?" He waited for the others to decide on whether or not they would use the stones. Sorex knew using the stone would help him.

 

[Envii]

Freyr smiled as Farth nervously made his way up the steps. He looked as if he was worried about being struck by lightning at any moment. "Ah the warrior" he said as Farth approached the stone. "Not a stone i would have imagined for you my friend but i suppose there is no bards stone now is there!" he said jovially.

"Now approach the stone and let all thought fade from your mind." said Freyr watching as the Redguard stepped up to the magical rock

 

[Farthlion]

Farth wordlessly stepped up to the Warrior Stone. He had so many thoughts going through his mind... how would he be able to do this properly? They could be here for hours and he wouldn't be able to clear his thoughts!

As the bard stared at the stone, he became entranced by the circular hole in the upper portion of it. After what seemed like hours, but was truthfully only seconds, an amazing thing happened. At first the Redguard thought he was most definitely dreaming or going insane, but after he pinched his side he realized that it was real - the hole began to glow, a light from the heavens reaching down. So this was magic? He could understand why his fellow Redguards were quite fearful of it - the feeling of even being near these stones made him realize that magic knew no bounds. However, the warrior that was aching to come out through Farth's Redguard blood was now answering the calling of the Warrior Stone. He immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and it naturally relaxed there. A feeling of relaxation and perfection swept over him as he realized he had a newfound connection with his blade.

As suddenly as it had begun, the moment was soon over. The light from the sky faded and the bard's mind once again acknowledged his surroundings.

"I don't know how to describe it, but I feel different now," he said softly, turning to Freyr.