When Luciana Galena escaped Morvath's Lair, she didn't know, where she was.
1
For hours she wandered without direction through the swamps, till she suddenly found Morthal.
There was a crowd in front of the Jarl's house demanding that she do something against the threatening unknown dangers of the swamps at night.
One of the men turned to Luciana as she arrived: "You are so pale, do you fear the sun?"
Luciana quickly went to the near tavern, as she hadn't drank for days. Morvath let his "lovers" be thirsty to enforce obedience.
Later at night as everyone slept there Luciana quenched her thirst from a orc bard. Not much, so that he certainly would survive and no one would ask uncomfortable questions.
But in the tavern wasn't much to steal, so she took a job from the jarl to investigate the fire at Hrogar's burned dwn house.
And there she meet Helgi...
And then she remembered. Everything as Helgi looked like her daughter. And that she was on a journey from Highrock to Solitude with her daughter Evelyne. That she lost her way in the swamps, where she met Morvath.
Merciless Morvath drunk Evelyne dry and laughed malicious. "Only a little sip". Luciana died at that moment and for a long time she was Morvaths willingless slave and Molag Bal seems to show mercy as Luciana forgot...
Years passed by... Was Uriel Septim VII still the emperor? Luciana didn't know, but one day she had sudenly the power to escape from Morvath's Lair.
And meeting Helgi unearthed all the deep digged memories and they suddeny erupt. A wave of burning fury flow through Luciana's veins.
She would revenge Evelyne and Helgi. On Hrogar, Alva, Morvath.
On Alva's house she meet Hrogar.
And in Alva's cellar she found her diary. How she incited Laelette to burn down Hrogars house with the sleeping Helgi and Hrogar's wife inside. And her fury grew... She would punish them all for their deeds.
No spider and no banekin stopped her.
Then she met Alva, which fled after a short fight. Luciana chased her down.
She cleaned Morvath's Lair thrall by thrall, one by one, and then disappeared into the shadows again, as she knew every corner and where to hide.
Finally only Morvath was left.
Luciana was not big, but she was quick. Sword Blow after sword blow, fireball after fireball she unleashed at him, till he was bleeding from many wounds and powerless.
"Do you remember, DARLING? Only a little sip". And she drunk the last drop of blood from his body.
Then it was time to say goodbye...
"Sleep well my little princess..." as Helgi dissolved into thousands of glowing mist droplets.
Luciana fell into a deep hole, how would life be for her in future?
Last edited by Morticia Iunia Bruti; August 17, 2023 at 11:25 AM.
Cause tomorrow is a brand-new day
And tomorrow you'll be on your way
Don't give a damn about what other people say
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day
An intriguing tale of a woman out of her time, re-discovering her lost memories and seeking revenge. I wondered what gave her the power to escape Morvath's Lair. It sounds like her encounter with Morvath was satisfying.
Morvath was too busy with overtaking Morthal so his grip on his "wives" get looser.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Luciana stayed a few days in Morthal. She did a head hunt for the Jarl on a local bandit camp. Nothing special. Then she decided to go to Solitude. To end her journey over 200 years after it had started. She reached Solitude at night, where a guard called Roggvir was public executed for letting Ulfric Stormcloak escape after the murder of High King Torygg.
Luciana afterwards talked to headsman of Solitude, a man called Ahtar. Perhaps he would have had a job for her. And indeed he had one. Luciana should hunt and kill a bandit, who had been escaped Ahtar. Ahtar had claimed to the authorities that he had killed the bandit and was now fearing that the bandit one day could walked living into Solitude again. Now Luciana should finish the job.
Luciana asked her way through the dodgy taverns of Solitude till she found out where the hide out of the bandit was.
As it was one or two days away in the north, she decided to go by day and attack the camp in the night. But something was wrong as she reached it as dark smoke was visible above the camp. She sneaked closer to the camp and then she saw them...
Snow ogres had attacked the camp and killed the bandits.
Luciana smiled, that was easy earned money, she thought. Then she tried to retreat quietly... And stepped on a cracking dead wood branch. The ogres recognized her immediately. Luciana run for her life a they began to HUNT her. In the last moment she jumped down a rock leaving the ogres behind.
Ahtar was suspicious, as she told him, that she had killed the bandit leader.
"What would i find, if i look after his dead body?" he asked.
"Well some snow ogres, which live now in the empty camp... I could bring you his head , if you want to be sure... For the little expense allowance of another 500 Septims."
"Forget it" Ahtar waved her off. "Always fun to make business with you"
Luciana winked at him, smiled and left his room with her new cloth, which accentuated her body ...
Cause tomorrow is a brand-new day
And tomorrow you'll be on your way
Don't give a damn about what other people say
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day
Luciana could live well a few days from the reward of the adventure wird the snow ogres. She took a room in The Winking Skeever. At night she drank much red wine with the people there, although the wine had no taste for her, but drunken people were more susceptible for suggestions and manipulations. And so she could easier quench her thirst...
But never she drank so much from them, that they would die. Then that would have led to uncomfortable questions and such questions were better avoided for a vampire.
Celebrating all night long with the people had also the nice side effect to have good reasons to sleep at day.
As the money was spent, she went to the Blue Palace to get some new jobs.
Her new job was to seek and kill some beachcombers at the Sea of Ghosts. She broke up early in the morning and late at night she found them.
She sneaked into the camp and one by one the bandits felt her fangs or dagger. As the last bandit was killed, she searched the tents in the camp for stolen goods and treasures. Her prey was modest. Then suddenly a beam of light shined through a hole in the tent and hit her eyes. What was that? She stepped out the tent and then she saw the first light of the new day.
How long was it since she saw her last sunrise? She didn't remember, but it felt like a millennium ago. A tear run down her cheek. She had almost forgot, how beautiful this was.
And as the sun become brighter and hurting her eyes, she took on her dark hood.
She wiped the tears away. That was her past and life would never be the same again...
Cause tomorrow is a brand-new day
And tomorrow you'll be on your way
Don't give a damn about what other people say
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day
Time went by. Luciana took new jobs and spent the money afterwards in the taverns and shops of Solitude. With time she came into contact with the High society of Solitude.
One day Luciana came back from an unsuccessful mission to liberate Thoralf Gray-Mane from the Thalmor, as a courier brought her a letter from Falk Firebeard.
"Luciana, my dear lady, once more we need your help. Potema the Wulfqueen has come back to her old catacombs and is gathering an army of undead around her. You must stop her at any cost, as she has not her physical form again yet. Styrr has the key to the secret gate to her catacombs. Come and stop her please. Sincerely your Falk."
Luciana went to Styrr and took the key, then she went to the entry opened the door with Styrr's key and entered the dark realm of the Wulfqueen.
"Finally you are there my little wulf cub. Soon you will join my ranks..."
Luciana heard Potema's voice in her head as she sneaked deeper into Potema's dark kingdom following the Fiendroth beetles, which were a clear sign for unholy Daedric powers...
As she entered a room, where a stairway was going down on a deeper level of the catacombs. She was attacked by a vampire and two draugrs.
With a quick look she saw oil on the floor under the feet of the vampire and one draugr and burning oil lamp above their heads. With a fireball she cut off rhe oil lamp, which set rhe floor on fire.
As the vampire and the first draugr were set on fire, she turned to the second one and spelled another fireball on him.
After battle she look down on the floor, the way was now cleared.
Deeper in the catacombs she met a wraith with another two draugrs. She spelled fireballs on them.
The Wraith's face show limitless fury and madness, before the fire consumed him.
No Draugr or vampire could stop Luciana on her way through the catacombs.
With a resurrected vampire Luciana finally reached Potema's Throne chamber. In her anger that Luciana was still alive, Potema was sending lightning bolts through the chamber.
Luciana evaded the lightning strikes and spelled fireballs on Potema's champions. Those, who she had killed, she resurrected to life to support her.
Finally with one of her minions she reached Potema's crypt, sending fireballs on her skeletal ghost. Potema was already weakened, as she has used most of her powers, so it was a short battle.
Potema's ghost disappeared and her smoking skull remained on the throne.
Luciana took the skull in her backpack and sat content on the throne.
It seems Solitude has a new queen. she thought smiling.
Cause tomorrow is a brand-new day
And tomorrow you'll be on your way
Don't give a damn about what other people say
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day
There are some great badass moments for Luciana here, such as when the oil lamp hit the floor, and in the final set of images as she achieved her goal. Nicely done!
Luciana felt how the thirst was burning through her veins, but here as prisoner in the Cidhna Mine she must be very careful to not be revealed as vampire. So she tried to tame her thirst. How has she come in this trouble? Where did things gone completely wrong?
Everything started as she found a book about the legend of the ancient Mage Gauldur, who was murdered by his own sons and which powerful amulet was split into three parts.
One part she found in a nord tomb near Solitude, which exit was guarded by an Ogrim.
Luckily this daedra was strong, but slow and dumb and so she could escape using her quickness as vampire.
The trace of the amulet led her then to Markath, where she gathered informations and bought a new better light armour from the local orc blacksmiths.
"I should have kept my nose out of the Forworn conspiracy." she thought.
But no, she had let herself dragged into this story and so she had found out, that a wealthy citizen of Markath was organizing assassinations for Madanach, the King of the Forsworn, which was imprisoned in the Cidhna Mine.
This citizen tried to kill her.
But after a fight through the whole city, she instead killed him in the city barracks.
"I should have thougt about it, why he had chased me even into the barracks and try to get out of Markath. But no, i was stupid and wanted to inform my client. But the corrupt City Guard had already killed him in the temple of the Nine to kept things under the surface. They arrested me and now i'm here."
Luciana sighed. Scolding herself was useless. And so she tried to meet Madanach. Perhaps he could help her to escape Cidhna.
She bribed Madanach's orc bodyguard with a selfmade weapon to let her to Madanach.
Madanach was impressed, that she survived so long and finally meet him personally. He told her about his arrangement, which he had had with the Silverbloods, the family which controlled the silver mines of Markath, and how he secretly used this to led his Forsworn rebellion from the Cidhna Mine.
"And now is the time to end this agreement and escape from here. You can come with us. If your show trustworthyness and kill the spy among the prisoners..." Madanach smiled.
Not long after Luciana ended the man's life and quenched her thirst. And so the Forsworn took her with them into the secret tunnel. The tunnel led into the ancient Dwemer City Nchuand-Zel beyond Markath. The Dwemer were long gone, but
Nchuand-Zel was not empty. It was now inhabitated by Wraiths and Zombies.
Frostspiders.
As they finally reached the exit of Nchuand-Zel, where a corrupt guard had stored their equipment, they met Thonar Silverblood with some guards.
"Madanach! Think you can escape my prison do you? You'll pay for what you've done to my family!" Thonar shouted angrily.
Madanach laughed. "Your family? You've poisoned the Reach with your tainted silver for long enough, Thonar!"
And then a bloody fight began.
But Luciana sneaked into the shadows and left the scenery toward the gate of Markath.
"This time i'm clever and not stupid, its not my war." she whispered...
Cause tomorrow is a brand-new day
And tomorrow you'll be on your way
Don't give a damn about what other people say
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day
It was raining since days in the Reach. But Luciana liked huge rain clouds and cloudy sky. It meant the whole day would be dark and no sun beams, which would burn on her skin and would weaken her. She was not alone: Eric "the Slayer" was with her, a young guy from Rorikstead. Eric wanted to be a mercenary to see the world. But his father would'nt let him go till he had the money for an armor. As Eric reminded her of her younger brother, who had always made her laugh, she had given him the money and so Eric accompanied her on her journeys.
And now they walked through the pouring rain, seeking for the Lover Stone in the Reach, which should give those who touch them the comfort of being loved and not be forgotten.
They walked up a hill and suddenly the earth trembled slightly. Luciana saw through the rain shower a huge figure moving to them. She raised ther right hand preparing a fire ball spell and raised her sword.
As the figure came nearer she saw a minotaur bull storming down the hill.
The Minotaur Bull raised his Iron Warhammer and tried to hit Luciana but she evaded quickly.
A fight began in which the Minotaur tried to hit her but she always evaded throwing fireballs at him. But as it was a rainy day the fireballs weren't so effective and weakened the Bull, but don't kill him, while her magic power faded.
What to do? She couldn't escape and could'nt risk to go in close combat with the Minotaur, who was still deadly even if wounded, as one hit of the Bull's warhammer could kill her. And the Bull stil marched straight on her.
And then suddenly Eric appeared out of the rain, standing between her and the Bull.
Eric stormed at the Bull delivering a series of quick blows at the Minotaur and the impossible happened: the giant beast fell dead down.
For a moment they stood at the giant dead body, but then suddenly as if by magic they saw the Lover Stone. Luciana touched it and a soft warm feeling streamed to her body.
She turned to Eric and for the first time she recognized his hidden soft looks at her.
"Seemed you are no longer the Slayer but Eric the Bullkiller" she said smiling to Eric.
Last edited by Morticia Iunia Bruti; February 04, 2024 at 06:48 PM.
Luciana was standing in front of Mistveil Keep in Rifton. It was a rainy cloudy night and she was waiting for Eric. She was thnking about the last weeks.
Soon after Lover's Stone Eric and her have become a couple.
After they had liberated the Kolskeegr Mine they had take a rest in Markath. And there Eric had taken his heart in his hand and said to Luciana that she was his lass, his favourite lass. She had stepped to him and kissed him immediately.
And from there they were a couple.
They had defeated Faolan, the Red Eagle.
They had visited Kilkreath Mountain.
Seen the Polar lights above Whiterun.
They had found the White Phial in the Forsaken Cave near Windhelm.
They wandered through the Rift to Riften.
Luciana was torn from her thoughts, as Eric arrived.
"There you are my Darling."
She kissed Eric gently.
"Lets take a rest in Bee and Barb before we walk up the stony way to Ivarsteadto Geirmund's Hall." she said.
Last edited by Morticia Iunia Bruti; February 11, 2024 at 10:56 AM.
Cause tomorrow is a brand-new day
And tomorrow you'll be on your way
Don't give a damn about what other people say
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day
It was a rainy day, when Luciana and Eric left Ivarstead, after they had het another part of Gauldur's Amulett in Geirmund's Hall. It was already late in the day, the sun was already going down on the horizon, as they climb down the steep path down to the Eastmarch.
Luciana climbed on a rock and watched the last sunbeams of the dying sun vanishing in the thick rain clouds.
She was walking as vanguard as she could see better in the coming darkness of the night.
After many hours - long after Midnight - they reached Darkwater crossing, where they rested the night.
Early in the morning they left the village and headed ro the warm springs of the Eastmarch.
Suddenly they saw a Giant Clan below them. A family with mammoths and children.
Luciana felt suddenly sad. "I will never have children with Eric. Death can't give birth to life. At least i have him." She took a step towards Eric, which was surprised by her sudden kiss.
As they reached Windhelm, the sun was already going down in a reddish light, as they looked down on Windhelm from the statue of Talos above the city.
The crows were flying to their nests, Masser and Secunda were rising, as they entered the city.
Cause tomorrow is a brand-new day
And tomorrow you'll be on your way
Don't give a damn about what other people say
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day
Luciana - a Skyrim AAR
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