The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR (23/6/13)

[Swaeft]

A mage? But she dealt with much worse, hasn't she? Good cliffhanger though, and i am eagerly awaiting the next update!

Yes, she has. I ended it off there because the next part is a different subject, and I din't want to put it in here. Thanks for reading!

Ah i remember that quest from the main questline. Took me a while to figure out i had to get that guy xrunk to sneak off.

Yeah, for me he kept running into doors and getting stuck in the running animation loop.

[Swaeft]

Sorry for the delay but I've been busy of late, and there was this irritating moment yesterday when I tried to post a chapter but the server went down..

I'll try to get it up by tonight after some edits

[Chirurgeon]

ok cool. I just posted a new chapter as well. I like how you wove Nikolai and Esbern together. Very good job I just noticed another Skyrim AAR just popped up as well!

[Bullet Storm]

I'll try to get it up by tonight after some edits

Wondering where update? Why is it not here yet?

[G-Ballz]

I too am very excited for the next update! Keep up the great work, Swaeft!

[Chirurgeon]

I third that motion

[Tigellinus]

Swaeft it seems you are becoming a legend within the AAR section, do you have any insight on what mods I should use?

I got Skyrim on my laptop yesterday Its amazing!

EDIT. Your graphics is that like the Ultra setting of ultra? I can get mine to medium without lagging at all, high I get some lag and Ultra I can't move. Yet Ultra has amazing graphics and your graphics look ten billion times better then mine do

[Merchant of Venice]

A great cliffhanger! Sorry I haven't posted but I just got skyrim myself and by coincidence I was on the same quest as Vaela when you uploaded it! But I'm glad I resumed reading because its good having a different view on the quest. You are a great writer. Anyone think we have possibly Radzeer's heir?

[G-Ballz]

Merchant, I think we might! Although I think Swaeft and Chirurgeon are both churning out quality work lately. Luckily ol' Chir just updated his AAR recently (The Nascent Ranger), so that's holding me over for now. But it's been almost a month since Swaeft updated, and I admit it -- I'm fiending. If both of those AAR's were made into TV shows, I would totally be watching them. Maybe it's just me, but I really like the way Swaeft and Chirurgeon compose their AAR's.

Actually, the lack of new stuff lately forced me to the otherwebs in search of AAR greatness. Sadly I was disappointed. I did find a "Fan Fiction" section on an official Skyrim forum, but those AARtists don't really use screenshots (maybe 1 per post). That's too much text-only for me. What I love about Swaeft and Chirurgeon is the well-chosen pictures that give me an image in my head, to help me build the story in my imagination. And you both are so creative in your storytelling and plot construction.

As far as I can tell, at this moment we're lucky enough to have the two best TES AARtists out there, composing here for our enjoyment. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to more chapters!

[Merchant of Venice]

Merchant, I think we might! Although I think Swaeft and Chirurgeon are both churning out quality work lately. Luckily ol' Chir just updated his AAR recently (The Nascent Ranger), so that's holding me over for now. But it's been almost a month since Swaeft updated, and I admit it -- I'm fiending. If both of those AAR's were made into TV shows, I would totally be watching them. Maybe it's just me, but I really like the way Swaeft and Chirurgeon compose their AAR's.

Actually, the lack of new stuff lately forced me to the otherwebs in search of AAR greatness. Sadly I was disappointed. I did find a "Fan Fiction" section on an official Skyrim forum, but those AARtists don't really use screenshots (maybe 1 per post). That's too much text-only for me. What I love about Swaeft and Chirurgeon is the well-chosen pictures that give me an image in my head, to help me build the story in my imagination. And you both are so creative in your storytelling and plot construction.

As far as I can tell, at this moment we're lucky enough to have the two best TES AARtists out there, composing here for our enjoyment. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to more chapters!

I think you should give other AARs another chance. When starting an AAR it is quite hard to know what people like. If there aren't enough pictures comment and tell them. And while Swaeft may not of updated recently I'm kind of glad he hasn't because it allowed me to catch up on my reading. But I have to agree with you, if they were both made in to tv shows I would definitely watch them!

[Sweaft]

From my brother:

Ok guys I'm extremely sorry for my sudden disappearance but you see...

I was down with a fever that didn't abate for 2 weeks I missed many lessons after coming out from hospital and I have desperately been trying to catch up with my studies.

But that's in the past. I am incredibly sorry for the delay but I will be getting a chapter up this weekend! But after that I would have to change my upload rate because it will probably slow down to once a week. Once again I apologize for the wait, but I really had no means to post here.

Edit: I'll get to reading the other comments and responding to them later because I have alot of work to do in this 6 hours! Sorry!!!

[Chirurgeon]

Get better. We miss you and so does Skyrim! Great comments gballz. So nice to see everyone so supportive of tes aars! Even tbough we got shlacked in the competition. I knew that Takeda aar was going to sweep everyone. Hopefully we both have an update at the end of the weekend

[Swaeft]

Wondering where update? Why is it not here yet?

I'm very sorry...can't force myself to type these past few weeks. I am working on it now though.

I too am very excited for the next update! Keep up the great work, Swaeft!

I third that motion

Thank you both very much. Your continual support means a whole lot to me, and it spurs me on to do the both of you justice

Swaeft it seems you are becoming a legend within the AAR section, do you have any insight on what mods I should use?

I got Skyrim on my laptop yesterday Its amazing!

EDIT. Your graphics is that like the Ultra setting of ultra? I can get mine to medium without lagging at all, high I get some lag and Ultra I can't move. Yet Ultra has amazing graphics and your graphics look ten billion times better then mine do

I am not a legend, and I think there may be yet some time before that happens. But thank you for flattering me because it just sounds good

For the graphics, I'm sad to say that my computer cannot run ultra and that the sliders are merely less than half. I just used photoshop to edit them but my free trial has expired and my father refuses to buy me one until my exam results improve so....

And no offence but for the mods I'd recommend every single one that I have on my first post. They are simply amazing.

A great cliffhanger! Sorry I haven't posted but I just got skyrim myself and by coincidence I was on the same quest as Vaela when you uploaded it! But I'm glad I resumed reading because its good having a different view on the quest. You are a great writer. Anyone think we have possibly Radzeer's heir?

No problem Merchant, I should be the one apologizing for not posting. Nice to see you on the same quest lol. And...no I'm not Radzeer's heir. He is the god of gods of writing to me, and superfluous words alone won't do him justice, so I'll leave that as it is

Merchant, I think we might! Although I think Swaeft and Chirurgeon are both churning out quality work lately. Luckily ol' Chir just updated his AAR recently (The Nascent Ranger), so that's holding me over for now. But it's been almost a month since Swaeft updated, and I admit it -- I'm fiending. If both of those AAR's were made into TV shows, I would totally be watching them. Maybe it's just me, but I really like the way Swaeft and Chirurgeon compose their AAR's.

Actually, the lack of new stuff lately forced me to the otherwebs in search of AAR greatness. Sadly I was disappointed. I did find a "Fan Fiction" section on an official Skyrim forum, but those AARtists don't really use screenshots (maybe 1 per post). That's too much text-only for me. What I love about Swaeft and Chirurgeon is the well-chosen pictures that give me an image in my head, to help me build the story in my imagination. And you both are so creative in your storytelling and plot construction.

As far as I can tell, at this moment we're lucky enough to have the two best TES AARtists out there, composing here for our enjoyment. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to more chapters!

Once again, my deepest, heartfelt apologies for the extended delay. I'm sorry to have let such an ardent fan down so badly. Perhaps my next few chapters can make amends? *Prays*

Get better. We miss you and so does Skyrim! Great comments gballz. So nice to see everyone so supportive of tes aars! Even tbough we got shlacked in the competition. I knew that Takeda aar was going to sweep everyone. Hopefully we both have an update at the end of the weekend

I concur. Thank you for your well wishes Speaking of the MAARC I have not been keeping an eye on it at all But good luck to you and all those competing!

[Swaeft]

Chapter Twenty Three: Escape

"Surrender yourself or die!" The Thalmor mage barked. Behind him, a scamper of Thalmor soldiers could be heard, and soon no less than seven golden armored Thalmor stood behind the mage. "The gate is locked, and it's not going to open unless you have the key," the Thalmor mage announced, jingling a silvery key in his hands before continuing, "or unless you blast it open, which is very likely to cause the old walls of this 'ratway' you pathetic humans call to crumble and box you in. Surrender now or face the wrath of the Aldmeri Dominion!" The mage roared.

"So basically you're asking me to die by Thalmor hands or non-Thalmor hands." Vaela remarked. The Thalmor mage's eyes blazed with anger. "According to the White-Gold Concordat, we have always treated prisoners with respect and--"

"That's rubbish! What about me?" Esbern yelled out. "What about my ten years in that stinking place you call--"

"Silence!" The mage roared, furious. His eyes glowered vindictively and its reddish-blue contrast seemed to shoot daggers into Vaela's heart. For a moment, she considered surrendering, but then she thought of her brave, courageous Senior and the thought disappeared from her mind. "If none of you surrender now, I shall close this exit permanently and you can rot here for the rest of your miserable lives!"

Vaela's response was to scorch the mage in her flames.


Although the Thalmor soldiers scattered to the four winds, the mage simply cackled madly and withdrew back into the chamber confidently. A brilliant light illuminated the area, and a pile of rocks crumbled from the ceiling, blocking any hope of escape. After the dust settled and Nikolai's coughing fit was over, Esbern inched forward. Instead of trying to move the rocks and the half-broken gate, he simply moved to a patch of darkness not illuminated by any torches, and seemed to pull the floor out from underneath him. A jarring, grating noise was heard, then Vaela realized that Esbern had pulled a trapdoor open. "This is a secret exit I installed a few weeks ago. Spending my time digging was much better than rotting in that room."

Vaela was puzzled. "Why didn't you try to escape anyway?" Esbern shook his head dismally. "I wouldn't know where to go. I didn't even know my own son was alive until now." Esbern said with a depressed sigh. Vaela knew he had a point. "Come on, we should keep moving." Nikolai remarked. He lighted a torch and jumped into the meter deep tunnel first and landed with a wet splotch. "Eww. There's so much mud in here."

If walking into the ratway was a pain to Vaela because of the dirt and grime, what she was experiencing now was tenfold. Crawling out from under the most disgusting place she had ever been too made her sick, and if not for her face mask and hood, the nauseating smells might probably have forced her to vomit by now. Waving her hands in a vain attempt to waft away the pungent odours, Vaela followed Nikolai's lead with Esbern bringing up the rear. Whatever light produced by Nikolai's torch flickered and wavered, and only served to create dancing shadows of blackness on the walls. Vaela pinched her nose and endured the stench.

The crisp afternoon sky had never seemed so welcoming to Vaela. The moment Nikolai forced the exit open, Vaela pushed past him gently and burst into the sunshine like a blooming flower. The bright sunlight greeted her with all the warmth of a lover, and Vaela enjoyed the feeling as it tickled her skin. The waterway of Riften brought in a lush, cool breeze, and Vaela threw off her hood and mask to let her skin feel the relaxing air's embrace. She turned back to see Nikolai help his father out of the smelly tunnel and assist him in standing up. Vaela walked over calmly and introduced the city of Riften to him. Esbern stood bent backwards slightly, and his eyes flicked open and close in quick succession. "It's nothing." He assured Vaela. "I just need to get used to the light after a few months down there." Vaela had to agree with him that the sun was unusually bright, but the radiance made Skyrim seem all the more beautiful.


"So, where are we headed?" Esbern inquired. Nikolai beat Vaela to answering him. "We're heading to the small hamlet of Riverwood, Father. My sister and I run an inn there. It's a safe place to be in." Vaela backed Nikolai up, and so Esbern agreed to travel to Riverwood. The trio headed out of Riften, and hired a carriage to Riverwood. As much as Vaela enjoyed the picturesque scenery and natural foliage, she knew that staying in a city like Riften was courting disaster that she would not want to get entangled in with. As the carriage rolled on and on, Nikolai's soft conversation with his father lulled Vaela into a restful nap.

~~~~

"Wake up, Vaela. We're here." An arm reached over and gently shook Vaela awake. She rubbed her eyes before opening them. The carriage had stopped just outside of Riverwood, and Esbern was bartering fiercely with the carriage driver. "How long?" Vaela mumbled, her question directed at Nikolai.

"Four hours." Came the answer. "You missed quite a bit of the wilderness in action. At one point past Ivarstead, there were three bears fighting amongst each other, and in the middle of the melee were a pack of wolves!" Vaela yawned lethargically in acknowledgement. The trio then headed to the Sleeping Giant Inn, where Delphine welcomed her father with open arms and a hug. Vaela witnessed another emotional return, with Delphine showering her father with kisses and wiping away all the mud and dirt on his clothes with a damp cloth.

At this stage something moved within Vaela. She realized that she had no family. No brother, no sister, no father or mother. The pang of loneliness etched in her heart a long time ago resurfaced with a vengeance, striking her head and heart. Vaela's lips quivered as she watched Delphine and Esbern catch up with each other. "My daughter. As studious as always." Esbern smiled and combed Delphine's messy hair. Vaela drew in a sharp breath and lowered her hood slightly. Each loving word the father and daughter exchanged instilled resentment and jealousy in Vaela's heart. Why am I reacting this way? Vaela pondered, her emotions throwing her astray.

"Come, Vaela. Let us discuss things in a more private place." Delphine announced, then put her right arm over her father's back and led him to the secret room without a backward glance. Nikolai was about to follow her, but then he glanced over at Vaela and chose to accompany her instead. "What's wrong?" Nikolai asked. He did not see her dry tears, nor her trembling lips. He did not feel her pain of loss, her pain of sorrow.

"Nothing." Vaela lied.

~~~~

By the time Vaela entered the secret room, Delphine and her father were in a heated argument over their next course of action. Nikolai headed to his usual spot by the door after patting Vaela on the back to encourage her. Vaela went around Esbern to stand behind the wooden table, facing the door. Somehow, she didn't feel secure anymore. It was as if her loneliness had brought out some form of fear in her.

"But they won't expect it! We can strike now! Statistics have shown that--" Esbern argued, pointing energetically to a book.


Vaela walked over, and with Esbern's permission, took it and read it. She scanned through the lines of text quickly. One point made itself clear to her--the Thalmor were seeking to greatly increase their influence within Skyrim. They were setting up a new base near Solitude, where they were planning to garrison some amount of soldiers. "This book doesn't say why or how many. How did you get this, Senior Esbern?" Vaela inquired. Esbern laughed gleefully. "Robbed it off a Thalmor Justicar while he was escorting me to a place called Northwatch Keep. My illusion spells are better than you think, Apprentice."

Nikolai gave an approving nod to his father while Delphine halted her argument for a bit out of respect to him. "I propose we all head to this 'Aldmeri Domain' to see what those buggers are up to." Esbern said. "It's a manor, according to this book, and we'll be able to find some very valuable information there. Some Thalmor soldiers I've come into contact with during my time as a prisoner said that some important Aldmeri members will be there too. It's the best place we've got as a source of information."

"But what about prisoners?" Vaela asked hopefully. "Did you manage to get any information about any prisoners?"

Esbern shook his head. "No. Why would you want that, though?" A moment of stunned silence passed before Vaela remembered that Senior Esbern did not even know why she had rescued him. "I'm searching for my Master, Senior Esbern. He was captured by the Thalmor a few months ago, and I've been trying to find him ever since. I underwent training from Senior Sonje before she...well, you know..." Vaela stuttered. There was a lump in her throat and she could not continue. She looked to Nikolai pleadingly, and thankfully he caught the hint and continued. "After that unfortunate incident, we've been searching for a clue to her Master's whereabouts by breaking into the Thalmor Embassy and rescuing you. So far, we've failed."

"Then this Thalmor Manor is the best bet we've got. This book contains the manor's exterior layout." Esbern announced. "But we don't know their strengths, their numbers or their--" Nikolai started, before Vaela cut him off abruptly.

"I'm in favour of Senior Esbern's suggestion." Vaela announced, then offered, "we can scout out the area first, and gather information from Solitude's inhabitants and travellers that frequent the Winking Skeever."

Esbern looked surprised. "You've been to Solitude, Apprentice? How do you know the inn's name?"

With a steely determination and the gritting of her teeth, Vaela replied in the most vehement and vindictive way possible. "That was where it all began."

~~~~

Vaela felt the harsh winds smash into her, trying to pummel her into submission. The torch she was carrying went out every now and then, forcing Vaela to relight it with magic. Vaela knew that the torch presented her Thalmor opponents with a chance to discover her, but from Senior Esbern's recommendation, no Thalmor soldier in their right minds would be looking this far up a treacherously steep hill for an intruder. Besides, Vaela needed the torch to provide her with warmth, for it was almost freezing cold this high up a mountain. Shifting her feet slightly to muster all the heat she could, Vaela set her eyes upon the Thalmor manor, known as the 'Aldmeri Domain', and continued watching the movement of its inhabitants from behind a cluster of trees.


She didn't need to see exactly who was going where. As long as the silhouettes continued moving this way and that, Vaela would be able to form a general picture of the number of patrols and guards. A soft, hacking cough erupted from behind her, and she turned around to express her concern. Nikolai grunted and help up his hands. "I'm fine." Vaela nodded and returned to observing the Aldmeri Domain. Senior Esbern had decided that Vaela would spy on the manor and monitor its inhabitant's exterior movements over the course of five days. Nikolai was to accompany her in case anything happened, while Delphine and Senior Esbern would work out a plan on entering and gather more information through other means such as interacting with Solitude's citizens. Vaela recalled the conversation as the four of them parted ways.

"You sure that's the best way to gather information?" Nikolai had questioned. He was referring to his sister's idea to go incognito in Solitude with her father pretending to be a beggar. Delphine had assured her brother that it would work out just fine, and with a few additional words convinced her brother about her safety. "It's not you I'm worried about." Nikolai had replied. Esbern had countered intelligently with, "Son, I'm a beggar. What could happen to me?"

It was at that point Vaela had politely interjected. She recalled, with a suppressed sigh of frustration, her own conversation with Senior Esbern. "Senior, why are you against the Thalmor?" Senior Esbern had looked at her peculiarly, as if he was talking to an idiot. "I was captured for worshipping Talos!" He had ranted. "Besides, the Mage's Hall have a long standing feud with them." When Vaela had asked why this was so, Senior Esbern looked bewildered, and appeared to want to box her head in. "You haven't read much about our history, have you?" Vaela meekly mentioned about what Senior Sonje had taught her--the Thalmor being the most outspoken against the Mage Hall's teaching methods due to some political power play. Senior Esbern had shaken his head morosely, and bemoaned the lack of education Vaela had. Vaela had felt like railing on about her tough life in the wilds, her ill fortune with the Thalmor and numerous other injustices she had suffered over the years, but held her tongue out of respect.

"There." A voice muttered, transporting Vaela back to reality. She found Nikolai beside her, pointing at a man garbed in heavy, red colored armor. Behind him, about twenty soldiers at attention. All of them were garbed in red and black, and their leader held up a wooden mast with a flag on it. The symbol emblazoned on it was unmistakably that of the Imperial Legion, and a fresh set of questions entered Vaela's mind. "What are the Imperials doing here?" She murmured. Nikolai shrugged, his mind similarly beset with questions. The two of them watched, covered by the trees and snow, as the leading Imperial shook hands with the a Thalmor delegation. Then, he barked some unintelligible commands at his men, who spread out around the compound and took up positions. Vaela waited for another ten minutes to see if they would do anything else, but besides setting up a tent, they continued being vigilant. Vaela cursed. She realized that these soldiers were probably sent to guard the Manor after the White Gold Concordat. This is only going to make things harder. She mused. With another dismal sigh, she doused her torch and retreated into a small recess in the mountain where it was warmer.

Vaela and Nikolai had agreed not to set up a campfire, lest the smoke attracted the attention of the Thalmor or even worse, fearsome wild beasts that could ambush them. Today is the fourth day. One more day to go. Vaela thought. She closed her eyes and tried to get some shut eye as the merciless wind continued howling by.

~~~~

Vaela rose later in the night to find Nikolai staring inquisitively at her. "What is it?" She asked. Nikolai's puzzled look dissolved into a charming smile. "Nothing. I'm just curious about this whole thing. Magic seems like something alien to me. Never thought I'd see my father wielding it, much less travel with a mage." Nikolai chuckled. Vaela had to agree. If she was in Nikolai's shoes, she herself would be very curious and very confounded by a mage's mind. Vaela tried to imagine herself as a wandering warrior, and felt the same form of confusion and ambivalence towards the profession. It just did not fit. Vaela sat deep in thought, then asked Nikolai what he wanted to know. "I'm not really a good teacher, though, so you may not understand my explanations on magic." Vaela forewarned. Nikolai simply smiled and asked her to relate a practical lesson her Senior had taught her. "What lesson?" Vaela asked. There were many kinds, but Vaela didn't think that Nikolai would want any boring theory lectures.

"Maybe one on the usage of magic?" Nikolai suggested. Vaela thought hard for awhile, before she remembered how her Senior had brought her 'hunting'.


It was dark at night and no one would be up save for bandits and other unsavory creatures. That was the best time to train one's magic skills and hone them to perfection if possible. Vaela was travelling with her Senior to a grassy knoll near the lodge, and had been instructed by her Senior to use only one spell on potential targets--the firebolt. "That sounds scary." Nikolai remarked. Vaela then informed him that it was really only a burst of fire that took off from her palms instead of spewing out constantly like flames. "There is a better, more powerful version of it, but my own ability hasn't reached the strength required to cast that sort of spells." Vaela explained. Nikolai then asked how a mage trained his or her skills, to which Vaela replied that a mage could only train one's skills through constant practice. The training process could be sped up with the presence of a Senior or a Master, who would guide their respective Apprentices through a series of curriculum. The curriculum would vary widely according to each Master or Senior's characteristics, school of magic, and of course the Apprentice's skill set. Nikolai took in all of this knowledge in silence. Some may have mistook Nikolai for not paying attention like a rebellious child, but Vaela knew that when Nikolai was quiet, he was indeed digesting the information carefully as it processed through his mind.

"Please continue with your lesson." Nikolai mentioned. Vaela eagerly reiterated how she had stumbled across two deer enjoying the peaceful serendipity of the night. That would soon change, however, as Vaela's Senior instructed her to prepare her flaming missiles. The deer did not seem to notice the duo yet, but a flash of light in the darkness would be rather telling, something even an animal would notice. Vaela therefore kept her palms facing down, where the luminescence from her firebolt spell would be hidden by the rocks. Vaela waited until one of the deer gazed regally at the moonlight, then with approval from her Senior, launched the firebolt from her right palm. The brilliant flash of red and maroon zipped towards the deer as quick as lightning, giving the animal no chance of escape.




The attack startled several nearby animals, including foxes, wolves, and rabbits which Vaela had not detected earlier. All of them scampered away with haste, and within seconds the area around the burning deer was empty and devoid of movement. The deer was left to burn to its death, and like a fallen king with antlers as its crown, it slowly succumbed to the agonizing flames, and tottered about before gradually falling to the ground.


Vaela was overjoyed that her firebolt had hit its mark well and true, but that feeling of jovialness was tempered by a reluctance towards the animal's death. When Vaela had expressed her grief for the fallen animal, her Senior had told her that man killing animals was just a cycle of life, and no matter how cruel it seemed, it was necessary. "It's not that I don't have mercy or compassion, but this is just the way it is." Sonje had said, as the two mages stood over the body of the dead deer. Vaela could only stand there for so long, gazing at the corpse under their torch's light, before walking away.


~~~~

"Wow." Nikolai remarked. "That was some lesson." Vaela shrugged. "Sonje brought me back to the lodge and I had a good talking to on ethics before sleeping. The lessons she put me through were quite varied though, and I could never predict with a certain degree of accuracy what she would throw my way next. That's one of our characteristics that sets us apart from other guilds."

Silence descended upon them again as Nikolai finished asking all the questions in his mind. Vaela took one look at the sky and saw the moon descending. "It's your turn." She indicated to Nikolai. He nodded and lighted a torch, then ventured a few paces out to keep watch on the Thalmor Manor. Vaela tried to catch some sleep, for when the sun rose, it would be her turn.

[Merchant of Venice]

Another good chapter. I'm happy you got better. And are you sure your not Radzeer's heir in disguise. Are you sure that this "Senior" that you continue to write about is not Radzeer himself.

[Bullet Storm]

Glad your better Swaeft! I see time has not dulled your skills!

[Merchant of Venice]

Sweaft I think you should update the title of thread every time you update it. I'm subscribed but I can never know if you're posting a new chapter of replying to another members post.

[G-Ballz]

Once again, my deepest, heartfelt apologies for the extended delay. I'm sorry to have let such an ardent fan down so badly. Perhaps my next few chapters can make amends? *Prays*

Swaeft, I hope my comments didn't seem like I was disappointed in you. On the other hand, your quote might be sarcasm, but I'm not sure. Either way I am grateful for all the work you put in, and I'm happy to read whenever you have time to get to posting. I truly do feel lucky to have both you and Chirurgeon sharing your time and talents with us. Thank you!

Silence descended upon them again as Nikolai finished asking all the questions in his mind. Vaela took one look at the sky and saw the moon descending. "It's your turn." She indicated to Nikolai. He nodded and lighted a torch, then ventured a few paces out to keep watch on the Thalmor Manor. Vaela tried to catch some sleep, for when the sun rose, it would be her turn.

Another fantastic chapter! This story is so detailed and has so many other plots that are mingled in -- it's addicting. And now with these four characters working together, I feel like two teams of superstars are about to face off in the coming manor battle. Should be fun!

But back to real life, obviously health and school are extremely important. I'm glad you have recovered from your illness. We all should understand that AARtists like yourself use free time and creativity to share these stories with us, in addition to bearing all typical day-to-day responsibilities. I respect the work you've been able to do here while having to manage your personal affairs.
If it's been a while since an update, I'm never upset or offended or anything. Rather, I'm perpetually excited for the next chapter. I love how the forum will send me an email when the thread is updated. That's when I'll visit back.

Keep up the great work! As always, I look forward to the next chapter!

[Tigellinus]

Swaeft: My apologises, I had forgotten to look there.

Haha until your grades improve. I'm so scared for exams :surprised:

G-Ballz: I'm sorry for asking if you think I'm being nosy. But what have you got against text? I realise everyone has their tastes. But why do you like pictures with text and hate text with no pictures?

I most likely sound like a rambling madman, for that you have my apologises.

[G-Ballz]

Swaeft: My apologises, I had forgotten to look there.

Haha until your grades improve. I'm so scared for exams :surprised:

G-Ballz: I'm sorry for asking if you think I'm being nosy. But what have you got against text? I realise everyone has their tastes. But why do you like pictures with text and hate text with no pictures?

I most likely sound like a rambling madman, for that you have my apologises.

No worries, Tigellinus. I don't have any problem with text-only. In fact, I spend a great deal of time reading about news, entertainment, and sports. However, for me as a consumer of AAR's, I have a very specific interest. I have played A LOT of M2TW/RTW and Oblivion/Morrowind, so my interest is truly tripled when I can see (even just a little bit) of the game screens that my fellow gamers are seeing. It helps me immerse myself more. It gives me some context for the story. I'm a bit of an impatient reader, so pictures really help pull me in at the start of an AAR. Also, just an occasional photo gives me a visual of the main character(s). Those images stay in my head and make me more interested as the story goes.

I must emphasize this is just my personal preference. But when I start to read an AAR that's all text and starts mentioning all these names and places, I get a bit confused. That's when I start to lose interest. But when I see an image with a name, that sticks with me, and makes the drama all that much more interesting later.

Also I don't think I ever used the word "hate", because I am not criticizing anyone. I'm just explaining why I'm here and what I'm consuming.

I look forward to the next Astray chapter!!