Caravanners of Elsweyr - Khajiit Caravan Guild

[AS88]

Reading these again reminds me of why I came to love Khajiit in the first place Thanks for posting them.

No worries I got really obsessed with the Fur Trader one earlier after finding it in the Dawnguard hidden cave area, and it reminded me of the other Khajiit books in the game, hence the posts!

 

[Khasrin]

Sooo....I'm about half-finished writing a short guild-related fanfic/RP (but more fanfic). Any objections to my posting it here? It's a bit long, not multiple chapters-long but one lengthy post, so I thought I'd ask first. (I know there's a fanfic forum here on SF, but since it's guild-specific and not Skyrim-related, it's more apt to cause confusion there than anything else.)

 

[AS88]

As RP Moderator...

 

[Khasrin]

I lied, my little fanfic is multiple-posts long. (2-3 perhaps.) My bad Part I, anyone?​

- I -​

​

Ma'Virr stood in the tall grass, a newly sharpened sword hanging idle in his hand. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and watched appreciatively as Khasrin's shapely backside disappeared into a cluster of tall ferns. Only the tip of her tail remained to mark where she'd gone.

​

Nothing is so dangerous as a beautiful woman who does not know she is beautiful. At the time, Ma'Virr had found his father's words incomprehensible. Now he felt he was beginning to grasp their meaning.

​

He tried to picture the old cat's face, but it was impossibly hazy and only came to him in fragments...a coarse golden cheek, eyes of green amber, once sharp and cruel but now rheumy with age. One ragged ear missing its black tip. Shot off by a Bosmer arrow, his father claimed. Father, so far away now...was he still alive? Ma'Virr had no way of knowing. Elsweyr itself was not distant, but it was changed, a dark and blighted place. The Elsweyr he'd loved was no more.

​

Ma'Virr closed his eyes and conjured up memories of home, his homeland as it used to be, in the southern village of his birth. The endless days of childhood, the sensation of his bare feet sinking into hot sand as he gamboled along the seaside. Bold sunsets, pink and golden peach like the smooth inner chambers of conch shells. Hammocks woven from bits of rope and dried grasses, strung up between two palm trees...how many nights had he spent there on the beach, making up his own names for the stars and letting the whispers of the waves lull him to sleep?

​

His chores done for the day, young Ma'Virr would race down to the water's edge, his heart swelling with delight each time he caught the first glimpse of the sapphire sea. He spent his afternoons sifting through the sands in search of lost treasures; a battered gold coin, bits of broken silver jewelry, pieces of bone or colorful pebbles. The bones always thrilled him - they might have been pirate bones. He buried his loot along the beach and marked their locations on a meticulously drawn treasure map. Ma'Virr carried the precious map in his pocket at all times, lest someone should discover it and unearth his secret hoard.

​

He carried it with him still, a tattered bit of parchment covered in childish scribbles. A profound sadness clutched at his heart. Ma'Virr gave up trying to remember.

​

The ferns rustled and shook. Khasrin backed out the same way she had entered and sat down cross-legged in the grass. A smirk appeared on her lips as she studied the contents of her hand.

​

"Ah, success?"

​

Khasrin smiled wryly and held up a single spindly toadstool. "That depends entirely on your notion of success, friend. If one sad mushroom may be considered a success, then yes, we have triumphed."

​

Ma'Virr chuckled. "A small bit of success, perhaps."

​

"Enough for one potion." Khasrin tucked the feeble specimen into her satchel. "Khajiit had higher hopes for this places, all these nooks and crannies in the rocks. Ah well, might have better luck close to the river, no?"

​

She forged ahead in that direction before Ma'Virr could reply. He sheathed his sword and hurried to catch up with her, but his haste was unnecessary. They had only gone a few paces before Khasrin was crouched beside a fallen log, expertly prying up a growth of fungus with her dagger. "The trick," she mumbled to nobody in particular, "is to leave just enough behind to allow new growth." Ma'Virr waited patiently, fiddling with the hilt of his sword and attempting to show a scholarly interest in mushroom husbandry.

​

The midday sun had just peaked in the sky. It filtered through the green canopy above, casting an ever-changing veil of light and shadow onto the forest floor. Unseen birds chirped and trilled in the branches. A gentle stream whispered through the clearing ahead, and to the south they heard the distant rush of the river. Ma'Virr breathed a sigh of contentment. This caravan life is a good one, he thought, no matter what Father says.

​

The trade caravan was both home and family to Ma'Virr now. Four Khajiit led the others; Khasrin was one of them. The Mage and the Bard, he thought, cursing his dreadful memory for names, the Swordsman, and the Alchemist. The Mage, he was the true leader, but apart from that the fine points of their hierarchy were lost on Ma'Virr - they ruled as one over the ever-growing caravan of merchants and adventurers. If any discord existed among them, they kept their own counsel, for Ma'Virr had never heard them exchange a harsh word.

Khasrin, the Alchemist, and the lone female among the caravan leaders, had been his first patroness.

Ma'Virr still remembered the way her lively eyes had watched him, following his movements, gauging his reactions...only then did she approach. Expecting a rebuke, he'd drawn himself up to his full height and waited with all the dignity he could muster in his mismatched armor. Instead she'd offered him a mysterious smile and pressed a pouch of gold into his hand. 'You are quiet,' Khasrin had remarked as they returned from their first trip, 'but not too quiet. Bit of a daydreamer, but you are watchful all the same.' She elbowed him playfully in the side. 'And you are mindful not to trample over the plants before this one has a chance to pick them.'

​

Over a month had gone by since that rainy morning. Ma'Virr was not about to turn down a pocketful of gold, and Khasrin paid him well to accompany her on these ingredient-harvesting excursions. Yet he would follow her for nothing if she asked him to. He was a solitary creature, and a long walk into the wilds of Valenwood soothed his jarred nerves when he grew weary of company. They could be a garrulous lot, the other caravaneers. But deep in the woodlands with Khasrin...half the time, Ma'Virr was unsure where the forest ended and the woman began. In spirit, they were one and the same.

​

"Should we rest here for a bit, do you think?"

​

Khasrin's voice startled him from his reverie. "Hm? Forgive Ma'Virr, he was...lost in his thoughts."

​

She grinned. "So it seems. This one asked if you would like a rest. We have been walking since dawn, after all." Khasrin winked at him. "And your stomach is growling."

​

"Ah, yes." Ma'Virr shrugged. "It is nothing," he lied, "but if you wish to stop...?"

​

"Come on, then." Khasrin led him to the clearing and perched herself on a moss-covered stump near the stream. She dipped her hands into the cool water and splashed it repeatedly over her cheeks. Droplets clung to her whiskers and ran in rivulets down her fair face. She shook them free.

​

Ma'Virr watched this performance with puzzled interest. Is it true, what they say of her? he wondered. An urchin from Corinthe who was raised by elves? It seemed plausible. She could almost have been the adopted daughter of some Altmer noblewoman; she carried herself with the grace and dignity of that race. Yet ladies of rank did not, so far as he knew, crawl on their bellies in the dirt to pick mushrooms or wash their faces in streams.

​

He abandoned the idea and sat down on a nearby log. His aching limbs were grateful for the rest. He started to unpack a midday meal of bread and cheese. "There has been talk that the caravan is not moving on tomorrow after all," he ventured.

​

"Mm, yes." Khasrin submerged her cupped hand in the water again, then raised it to her lips for a drink. "Not just yet. Travelers, too many for our liking, they speak of...unrest, between here and the border. Ri'Karav thinks it best to stay where we are for the moment until there is more news. Reliable news. Then we will decide."

​

Ma'Virr nodded and chewed thoughtfully on a piece of bread. Khasrin knew more than she was willing to let on, but trying to wheedling the details out of her would be a waste of breath. "Ma'Virr is certain he is in safe hands, with you and the other three steering our course."

​

Khasrin inclined her head graciously. "That is our aim," she said. "To keep all of us safe, and the caravan strong, no..." She trailed off. Her smile faded. She rose to her feet, reaching for her bow and drawing an arrow from the quiver in a single fluid motion. "Did you hear something?" she whispered.

​

Ma'Virr drew his sword. He couldn't hear anything but the blood pounding in his head, his own racing heartbeat. His eyes searched frantically between the trees for some sign of life, but nothing showed itself. Some bodyguard, he thought ruefully as he watched her scan the forest. Give her a bow and Khasrin is an army by herself.​

​

"This one is certain she heard...something. A voice, perhaps. Wait!" Khasrin darted away from Ma'Virr and vanished behind a massive boulder.​

​

"Khasrin?" Ma'Virr inched forward cautiously, sword at the ready and his forehead furrowed in confusion. When she says 'wait'...does she mean wait here, or wait over there, with her? Damn...Khajiit must ask for clarification when this is all over.

​

A sudden stream of curses echoed from behind the boulder, words that would have made a drunken sailor proud. In Khasrin's lovely voice, they sounded absurd. So much for the noblewoman's daughter theory. Ma'Virr decided to risk her displeasure. He splashed through the stream and raced to her side.

​

The boulder was only one of several giant slabs of stone, leaning against each other at odd angles. In ages past they might have formed a covered walkway, but the structure had long since collapsed. The last of the standing stones flanked an overgrown path leading into a shallow cave. Khasrin stood motionless between them, oblivious to Ma'Virr's presence. Her eyes were focused intently on something in the shadows.

​

Ma'Virr gasped aloud as he saw it, huddled on the ground at the cave's entrance. He backed away, gripping his weapon ineffectually in one shaking hand. Panic rose in his chest.

​

"Stay back!" he hissed, but his words fell on deaf ears. Her bow at the ready, Khasrin took a step forward, into the dark.

 

[AS88]

Current Recruits

Lord Caravanner: Dradin - Ri'Karav

Diplomat: AS88 - J'Kaasha
Tora Wolfborn - Khasrin
Roq'ja - Roq'ja?
Jarif

you diddn't change my name and status XD

I think you'd be extremely lucky to get Kharjo as your name, there might be a lot of people trying for the same. Also, you said you weren't playing on PC..

 

[jarif]

Current Recruits

Lord Caravanner: Dradin - Ri'Karav

Diplomat: AS88 - J'Kaasha
Tora Wolfborn - Khasrin
Roq'ja - Roq'ja?
Jarif

you diddn't change my name and status XD

I think you'd be extremely lucky to get Kharjo as your name, there might be a lot of people trying for the same. Also, you said you weren't playing on PC..

I am getting this on PC, why else would I get a gaming PC in December , I am just not going to pay for the subscription fee, maybe sometimes

 

[Khasrin]

Tell you what, though...writing a fanfic set in a world you haven't explored, populated by characters you can't manipulate, and governed by game mechanics you haven't even touched yet? F-ing sucks. Damned if I'm going to try that again

 

[Roq'ja]

Tell you what, though...writing a fanfic set in a world you haven't explored, populated by characters you can't manipulate, and governed by game mechanics you haven't even touched yet? F-ing sucks. Damned if I'm going to try that again

Haha, I hear ya.
Head on over to the new site, you can write up some new fanfics on the roleplay forum!
http://caravannersofelsweyr.guildlaunch.com

I'm still ironing out the site, so bear with me.

 

[Khasrin]

Tell you what, though...writing a fanfic set in a world you haven't explored, populated by characters you can't manipulate, and governed by game mechanics you haven't even touched yet? F-ing sucks. Damned if I'm going to try that again

Haha, I hear ya.
Head on over to the new site, you can write up some new fanfics on the roleplay forum!
http://caravannersofelsweyr.guildlaunch.com

I'm still ironing out the site, so bear with me.

Looks good so far. Just registered on there.

 

[Roq'ja]

Looks good so far. Just registered on there.

Bam! Now you're a site admin!

 

[Khasrin]

Looks good so far. Just registered on there.

Bam! Now you're a site admin!

So I am! *promises not to break anything*

 

[jarif]

We have a website??? Can I be admin??? Will you show this to the shoddycast???
Answer My Questions damm it, and I will represent Kharjos backstory that is linked to the moon amulet and Kharjo himself in the present.

 

[Roq'ja]

Site

We have a website??? Can I be admin??? Will you show this to the shoddycast???
Answer My Questions damm it, and I will represent Kharjos backstory that is linked to the moon amulet and Kharjo himself in the present.

Site admin positions are reserved for the founding party that developed the guild mechanics in the private discussion that was had outside the thread. These individuals deserve this right in exchange for the hard work and dedication they portrayed in the two weeks worth of time that the guild was being developed.

However, it is recognized that you have been here since the conceptualization of the guild, so it is possible that you are eligible to be a moderator if deemed necessary in the near future.

Feel free to join the site today, we're still getting everything set up, so bear with us.

 

[Roq'ja]

Jarif and AS88 have been added to the site

 

[AS88]

Site

We have a website??? Can I be admin??? Will you show this to the shoddycast???
Answer My Questions damm it, and I will represent Kharjos backstory that is linked to the moon amulet and Kharjo himself in the present.

Site admin positions are reserved for the founding party that developed the guild mechanics in the private discussion that was had outside the thread. These individuals deserve this right in exchange for the hard work and dedication they portrayed in the two weeks worth of time that the guild was being developed.

However, it is recognized that you have been here since the conceptualization of the guild, so it is possible that you are eligible to be a moderator if deemed necessary in the near future.

Feel free to join the site today, we're still getting everything set up, so bear with us.

well it would be a bit unfair since I got this guild official and contributed ideas

Without meaning to be rude Jarif, just because you were the first one to reply to the thread, doesn't mean that you are a founding member of the guild. We've discussed the running of the guild in private messages for a while now, based on the interest and likely contributions of members who showed an interest. The guild leader, Dradin, made the guild official since he created the thread and the base idea. Also, I think it's understandable that we don't give you a leadership role in the guild due to the fact that you don't even know if you're playing ESO. You have said that you intend to, yet on other threads you have asserted that you are upset about the subscription model, and likely won't pay for it. The guild needs leaders who are committed to the day to day running, creativity, organisation and discipline of starting, building and running a guild.

 

[jarif]

Without meaning to be rude Jarif, just because you were the first one to reply to the thread, doesn't mean that you are a founding member of the guild. We've discussed the running of the guild in private messages for a while now, based on the interest and likely contributions of members who showed an interest. The guild leader, Dradin, made the guild official since he created the thread and the base idea. Also, I think it's understandable that we don't give you a leadership role in the guild due to the fact that you don't even know if you're playing ESO. You have said that you intend to, yet on other threads you have asserted that you are upset about the subscription model, and likely won't pay for it. The guild needs leaders who are committed to the day to day running, creativity, organisation and discipline of starting, building and running a guild.

sshh I'm writing Kharjos backstory XD and i am going to be playing ESO

 

[jarif]

How was it? Don't be too harsh.

 

[AS88]

How was it? Don't be too harsh.

There's a lot of good effort in here man, so well done first of all. It's clear that you spent a lot of time on this, and it shows good commitment like I talked about earlier.

However ( ), there's a lot of things to point out, and I think it'd be best to be honest and address some things for you (don't take it personally, I think you'll like what I say soon)..

a) Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation. If you see the stories for the other four members (Dradin, Roq'ja, Tora and I), you'll notice that we have these things pretty much locked down, at least to a point where we've proof-read stuff and rooted out any little mistakes so that our work is readable. There's a lot of little things to be corrected in your backstory, and it has a negative effect on the atmosphere you're trying to create.

b) The concept of the guild. The Caravanners of Elsweyr is not a power-play guild. Our characters weren't raised or overlooked by the Aedra and Daedra, and none of our characters' parents were (as far as I know) devoted to any Daedra, and weren't their sworn servants. The Mara/Nocturnal thing was a nice idea, but it doesn't really fit the idea of the guild; a group of wayward travellers banding together for safety and a chance to earn money, not characters blessed by the Divines or Daedra. This could be worked around and adapted in your story, though.

c) Length. It's great that you've got lots of detail on Kharjo's parents, but we know more about their history than we do about Kharjo's! Again, a shift in focus with your character could fix this.

d) Name. Like I've said before, you'll be very lucky to get the name Kharjo. How about a change, I could suggest some ideas for you, if you like?

Finally, I'd like to offer you something. I wouldn't normally do this, but I know that you're interested in the guild and have come back and shown us your passion for the idea despite not being 100% on what you're doing with regards subscription, etc. So, how would you feel if I tweaked your character's backstory? Not a complete overhaul, just made a few changes to make the character fit into the identity of the guild and have a better synergy between the characters already confirmed for the guild.

Let me know what you think.

 

[jarif]

How was it? Don't be too harsh.

There's a lot of good effort in here man, so well done first of all. It's clear that you spent a lot of time on this, and it shows good commitment like I talked about earlier.

However ( ), there's a lot of things to point out, and I think it'd be best to be honest and address some things for you (don't take it personally, I think you'll like what I say soon)..

a) Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation. If you see the stories for the other four members (Dradin, Roq'ja, Tora and I), you'll notice that we have these things pretty much locked down, at least to a point where we've proof-read stuff and rooted out any little mistakes so that our work is readable. There's a lot of little things to be corrected in your backstory, and it has a negative effect on the atmosphere you're trying to create.

b) The concept of the guild. The Caravanners of Elsweyr is not a power-play guild. Our characters weren't raised or overlooked by the Aedra and Daedra, and none of our characters' parents were (as far as I know) devoted to any Daedra, and weren't their sworn servants. The Mara/Nocturnal thing was a nice idea, but it doesn't really fit the idea of the guild; a group of wayward travellers banding together for safety and a chance to earn money, not characters blessed by the Divines or Daedra. This could be worked around and adapted in your story, though.

c) Length. It's great that you've got lots of detail on Kharjo's parents, but we know more about their history than we do about Kharjo's! Again, a shift in focus with your character could fix this.

d) Name. Like I've said before, you'll be very lucky to get the name Kharjo. How about a change, I could suggest some ideas for you, if you like?

Finally, I'd like to offer you something. I wouldn't normally do this, but I know that you're interested in the guild and have come back and shown us your passion for the idea despite not being 100% on what you're doing with regards subscription, etc. So, how would you feel if I tweaked your character's backstory? Not a complete overhaul, just made a few changes to make the character fit into the identity of the guild and have a better synergy between the characters already confirmed for the guild.

Let me know what you think.

yes I would like that. As for grammar and the ideas I had like the aedra stuff. I normally just live out the grammar and stuff for later till I actually finished. I consider it to be a draft and once I am done, I sort out the grammar and stuff. So when I finish a draft, I scrap ideas. I even considered Kharjo being a half breton lol. I might tweak the name a bit. So yh help would be appreciated since you get the basic idea of Kharjo. Abandoned, damaged, lonely and imprisoned by the Thalmor.

So to answer all to that yes yes yes, I would like help. As for subscription fee, I've decided that I'll pay for it because of this guild. I'm thinking of buying the game than pay the fee for two months and see If I still want to pay. That's probably 3 months of gameplay.

 

[AS88]

yes I would like that. As foor grammar and the ideas I had like the aedra stuff. I normally just live out the grammar and stuff for later till I actually finished. I consider it to be a draft and once I am done, I sort out the grammar and stuff. So when I finish a draft, I scrap ideas. I even considered Kharjo being a half breton lol. I might tweak the name a bit. So yh help would be appreciated since you get the basic idea of Kharjo. Abandoned, damaged, lonely and imprisoned by the Thalmor.

So to answer all to that yes yes yes, I would like help. As for subscription fee, I've decided that I'll pay for it because of this guild. I'm thinking of buying the game than pay the fee for two months and see If I still want to pay. That's probably 3 months of gameplay.

Cool, I'm glad you're open to some help. I'll PM you and we can work stuff out.