The Celestial Farmer
Chapter 04: Lighthouse
– Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon (Ciri) –
Grinning to herself, she ducked under the powerful but slow swing, her training fresh in her mind as her blade slashed out and removed the already injured arm.
The troll roared in pain and anger, but this fight was over already. Trolls healed, but not fast enough to recover from the dismembered army. It had wandered a little too close to the farm, and while Barioth could have eaten it easily, Barioth was also off in the mountains, so she volunteered to deal with it. She had to earn her keep since she was mostly just lounging around and eating Jorgen's food and drink.
After so long on the run, she was very much enjoying her new, far more relaxing day-to-day life. But still, she had to admit that she'd missed this as she dodged back away from the Troll's remaining arm.
With a grin on her face, she went to finish the job when a flash of orange made her eyes widen, leaping back, ready to fight off the new threat.
The troll fell, its furred back burning as a chicken stared at her with an expression she could only describe as 'superior'. It squawked once, then turned and dashed back to the farm as she stared in disbelief. But… that was her fight, the first time she'd gotten to use her sword since she woke up on the farm…
She really fucking hated those chickens. Why did they have it out for her so much?
Sure, their eggs were amazing and always made her feel much stronger after she ate them, but now she was wondering what their meat tasted like. Gripping her blade, she took a deep breath and looked toward the mountains. Jorgen said there were other monsters, like Ice Wraiths, around, right?
Heading toward the mountain, eager for adventure, she paused as she spotted Barioth lounging with three sabre cats nearby. The sabre cats rose up, but Barioth just let out a quiet roar, and they backed down instantly. Tilting his head at her, Barioth rose up onto its hind legs and stared at her expectantly.
"Can you understand me?" Ciri tried, making him huff in what might have been amusement. "I don't suppose you know where I can find something to fight?"
Barioth paused, tilting his head again before he huffed. Dashing forward, she barely had time to react before he swept her feet from under her with his long tail, picking her up gently by the back of her top and tossing her onto his back.
Despite her surprise, she was quick to grab onto scaled back as Barioth rose and gave a quiet roar to the three sabre cats, who also rose, following him as Barioth dashed through the snowy tundra. She had no idea where he was taking her, but he was damn fast and soon enough, he came to a stop right in front of… a lighthouse?
"Erm, I didn't mean people," Ciri tried, and the giant cat just rolled its eyes as it nodded its head to the door and then laid down, seemingly going back to sleep. Frowning, she moved to the door and knocked on it, surprised when the door just swung open.
Her senses screamed that something was wrong as she picked up the scent of blood and a lot of it. Turning back to Barioth, it simply stared at her expectantly before she nodded, drawing her blade and entering the lighthouse.
The place was something out of a horror story, ransacked and blood-soaked. She found a weird, chitinous axe that didn't look like any of the weapons she'd seen around here, but something Jorgen had mentioned made her pause.
She'd quizzed him a lot about the threats around here, and one of the things he'd mentioned was the Falmer. He didn't know much about them, just that they were monstrous primitive elves of some kind, blind and living underground. He'd heard stories of them coming up to the surface at night to attack travellers and isolated places.
It didn't take her long to find the first body, a dark-skinned woman lying dead on the floor in the middle of the main room, having been butchered as creepy skittering sounds made her stiffen. Finely honed witcher training kicked in as a strange, black giant insect approached, blood on its mandibles.
It lunged at her, likely seeing her as an easy meal, but she wasn't such easy prey. Someone had fought this thing, leaving an axe wound on its chitin. Her sword slashed into its mandible as she sidestepped the attempted bite, finding its black hide far tougher than she anticipated, but that just meant she had to hit it harder. A part of her wanted to use her powers, but the smarter part of her told that part to shut the fuck up as she rolled to the side, the creature far too slow to catch her, before lunging forward and stabbing her blade directly into the axe wound to its head.
She didn't know how intelligent the Falmer were, but this was planned. They'd tunnelled in from below. As she examined the hole in the cellar and clear evidence of at least four people living here before the attack, she nodded to herself.
This was a job for a Witcher (in training).
– Jorgen –
Guiding the golems, I start setting up my smelter and smithy. The parts weren't cheap, but I have the money to spend now, and my goods were very well received in Winterhold. Birna promised to get me all the parts from her suppliers, and while I could have probably done it myself, she's a good person to know since she runs the only general trader in the Winterhold.
She got the parts fast and didn't overcharge, so I'm guessing she's thinking the same about me.
100cp granted, 100pp total.
[Ingrid] - 100cp, 0cp remaining
Source: God Of War (2018)
During your travels you came across a sword that was able to fly on its own! It seems to have taken a liking to you and has since proven to be a powerful weapon. Able to fight on its own accord, the blade has a tendency to defend its wielder from nearby threats and is able to even keep up with Mjolnir blow for blow. Another of its powers is that it grants its wielder the ability to fly, as well as create shields by spinning in the air, though oddly, the shields are able to grow larger than the blade itself. These shields are strong enough to even hold back a blow from Ragnarok itself for a short time, though it would ultimately fail to stop it forever.
As a golden sword appears, I blink and watch it swirl around wildly. It's pretty, but I'm more of an axe guy. Ingrid floats over the smelter as I work, making strange noises as I shrug. Flying is a nice trick, but I prefer to keep my feet on the ground.
The moment I got the idea to set up my own forge and smelter, my mind started racing on how I could improve things. If I can make farming so much better through magic, shouldn't I be able to do the same with smithing? My main idea came from my Dragon Communion. Why settle for regular heat when I can use the flames of a Dragon to forge?
Trapping my heat isn't easy but at the same time… I've already handled that. That's practically what all the pillars are doing, warming my farm. All I realistically need to do is work out how to do that, but it's much hotter.
Sure, I have to play around with some scrap first to make sure I won't accidentally melt the smelter but my artificer knowledge helps as I enchant the smelter itself to handle the far hotter flames.
Sensing Barioth quite far away from the farm, I scratch my chin before shrugging and getting back to work. He's a big boy. He doesn't need me babysitting him if he wants to go for a walk. He won't go near any settlements or attack anyone who doesn't start a fight with him.
Continuing my work, I frown as I sense some newcomers. With [Jichinsai], I am far more connected to my land, and nobody can enter without me knowing. For just a moment, I hope the bandits have taken the bait, but I relax as I sense their appearance.
The trio of men are from Dawnstar and dressed in guard uniforms. Well, I suppose this was always going to happen, but I figured I'd have some more time. Putting away my tools, I go out to meet the nervous men with a casual expression.
"Something I can do for you lads? You're a decent way from Dawnstar," I say, greeting them. I already know what this is about before they even decide who is talking.
"I- Mr Jorgen, sir," one of them starts, clearly younger than me from the oversized armour and lanky figure. "Jarl Skald the Elder sent us to request you present yourself at the White Hall."
"Oh? Last I checked, I wasn't a subject of Dawnstar, and this isn't the Pale," I point out, arms crossed as I stare at them. The trio are barely men at all, too young and clearly inexperienced in hand-me-down armour. "What's the Jarl want with a farmer from a different Hold?"
But then, Jarl Skald has sent all the actual guards to fight for the Stormcloaks, hasn't he? It's been a constant source of trouble for the people of Dawnstar. I worked in the mines there long enough to have a good guess at what the old man wants.
The trio shuffle awkwardly, and I roll my eyes.
"Come in, you've had a long journey and the least I can do is provide you with a stiff drink for the cold and something to fill your bellies," I say, lessening my defensive stance. These three are just kids, really. No need for me to act like a hardass to them, ain't their fault they've been sent here.
Leading them into the warmth, I get them a drink, and some throw some meat on the fire. As they take off their helmets, it just confirms what I already suspected. They're just teenagers. See, Dawnstar has a serious manpower problem that has only gotten worse since the war heated up.
Jarl Skald is a fanatic when it comes to supporting Ulfric and happily sends the holds resources and men to fight for the Stormcloaks, even when it means the city suffers for it. He practically emptied the guard barracks when the war began and convinced a lot of miners to throw down their picks and pick up a sword instead. It's why Iron-Breaker Mine was so happy to accept a wanderer like me. They needed someone capable of swinging a pickaxe and couldn't be picky with half their workers running off to play soldier. So, the guard and mines have been scraping the bottom of the barrel to stay in some semblance of being staffed.
Crime was skyrocketing in Dawnstar in the final year I was there, and the understaffed and under-trained guard couldn't handle it. What proud Nord was going to back down when the guard who was trying to get things under control was too young to grow a proper beard? Burly, overworked, angry miners and inexperienced guards were not a good combination.
My golems could help the mines, but that's not why they're here. Skald doesn't care about such minor things as mining or petty crime when there's a war on.
"Is it true you can breathe fire, sir?" one of them asks, making me turn to him. "Like a dragon?"
"Aye, I can do that," I admit as he confirms my suspicion. The vigilants might be more disciplined than most Nords, but they're still men and no doubt their lips grew loose after some drinks at the Windpeak Inn.
"And the giant cat-lizard, that's your pet, right?" he asks, making me raise an eyebrow. "Some of the boys saw it take down a troll and said it moved like the wind and turned invisible in the blizzards. The vigilants said-"
One of the others harshly elbows him, shutting him up but I've heard enough.
Barioth has ventured far, hasn't he? Well, he hasn't hurt anyone that didn't have it coming so I don't mind. As I said, he's a big boy and can take care of himself.
"I wouldn't call Barioth a pet, but yes. He's mine," I confirm, giving them a challenging look. I'll not hide my skills and powers like some coward. My main worry is that the rumours might have reached the bandits, scaring them off. I've got a debt to settle with them.
I can see the shock and a little fear on their faces, but what surprises me is the… awe. There's something in their eyes that is uncomfortably close to worship. I saw the same on Carcette's face before she left. She was better at hiding it, but these lads are an open book.
Serving them up some Popo meat and Dwarven Ale, I let them enjoy the feast as I go some busywork around the house and pretend not to hear their whispered conversation. As they finish up, and have had seconds and thirds, they finally gather the bravery needed to actually talk to me.
"So, the Jarl wants to see me?" I prompt, semi-gently.
"O-oh, right. Err- you're not in trouble, we're not here to arrest you, but the Jarl wants to see you soon-" one tries, being cut off by another.
"You know, whenever it's convenient for you, sir," he says quickly, making me huff in amusement. I'm guessing the Jarl's court reminded Skald that I'm not one of his subjects and that he doesn't have any actual cause to drag me to Dawnstar.
"I'm heading there next week. I wanted to have a business chat with the traders and inn. I'll pay my respects when I do," I say calmly, watching the relief on all their faces. "I'll-"
My words are interrupted as the door opens, Ciri limping in as I freeze and sigh. Slung over her shoulder is an unconscious woman, and Ciri is covered in blood.
"Jorgen, you got another of those healing potions- Err, hi?" Ciri starts, seeing three guards staring at her in shock. "Don't worry, this isn't all my blood- I mean, I can explain."
"Save the explanations. Put her in the guest room. I'll be up in a moment," I order, sighing and rubbing my forehead. "Sorry, lads. Work calls."
"Okay," one of them squeaks, watching Ciri stride past them. "...whose blood is it?"
"I'll find that out," I sigh, turning to see Barioth sticking his nose through the door and ignoring the whimper I hear from the guard. Grabbing a slab of Popo steak, I toss it to him, watching his tongue lash out and catch it before he pulls back.
– Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon (Ciri) –
Maybe she was just destined to really not get along with elves?
Somehow, she preferred the Wild Hunt over the fucking Falmer. At least they just had wild hunt hounds and not evil giant insects. She really fucking hated the giant spiders, but the weird black ones were still the worst. Vesemir would be embarrassed at how poor her showing against them had been; she was obviously getting way too sloppy.
"Who is your friend?" Jorgen asked, entering with a pack at his side.
"I think her name is Sudi," Ciri explained, looking down at the exhausted girl with a frown. "I went exploring and came across a lighthouse."
"That'd be Frostflow Lighthouse, I'd bet. To the west? I wondered what Barioth was doing out that way," Jorgen said, making her nod. "Heard a family had moved into it from Hammerfell."
"Yeah, Habd and Ramati. I found their journals… and their corpses. The Falmer had tunnelled up from underneath and broke into the basement," Ciri explained, sitting down on the bed with a scowl. She'd found the corpses of Sudi's parents and her brother, but they'd been keeping Sudi to feed to that giant version of the black insects, which was also what managed to hurt her. "I found Ramati in the Lighthouse, but realised that their children had been taken below. Habd followed them, but-"
"The Falmer aren't known for being kind to their captives," Jorgen continued, his eyes noticing the wounds on Sudi as he gently removed her outfit to see the damage. She was wearing undergarments, thankfully, but her wounds weren't a pretty sight.
Nothing fatal, but Sudi had told her the Falmer would attack her for seemingly no reason beyond their own entertainment. Fucking scummy underground elves. Sudi had been planning on killing herself with a dagger her father managed to slip her before his death but hadn't gathered the bravery to do it yet. Barioth had probably saved her life by leading Ciri to the Lighthouse… but how did he know to begin with?
She'd been lounging around on the Farm for days while Sudi and her family were going through hell just to the west. She could have saved them all if she'd not been so lazy.
Jorgen was quick to heal her up with the potions, before he forced her to take one as well with that no-nonsense stare that reminded her of Geralt just a little.
"You killed Falmer?" one of the new guys said, getting her attention.
"Yeah. Didn't leave a single one of them standing, or their creepy bugs for that matter," Ciri agreed, clenching her fists.
"Ciri, go to my parent's old room and grab one of my mother's dresses. It won't fit, but it's better than nothing, and I can adjust another one later," Jorgen ordered, positioning himself to block the trio lurking at the door from getting an eyeful of the nearly naked girl on the bed. "She's just exhausted now, she'll be fine."
"More than her family can say," Ciri muttered, making him pause as he gave her a scolding look.
"Sudi is alive because of you, so knock that shit off," Jorgen ordered sternly, making her laugh. No, he didn't remind her of Geralt. He reminded her of Eskel. "Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and get the girl a dress. Then get a bath. You're trailing Falmer blood everywhere."
His small smile told her that he was mostly joking with her as she nodded and moved past the boys, who all backed away nervously. Even still, as she got Sudi a dress, she felt herself frown.
– Jorgen –
With the trio running off home, I frown. They're definitely going to spread word about Ciri as well, but I get the feeling she isn't going to be sticking around for long.
"So, what does the Jarl want with you?" Ciri asks, sitting in the living room as she sips her drink.
"He wants my powers for the war, I'd guess. He's probably salivating at the idea of me sending Barioth to kill Imperials," I scoff. "He's gonna be disappointed. I've no love for the Thalmor, but I've got no grudge against the Empire or any love for a kingslayer like Ulfric."
"You think he's going to leave it at that?" Ciri asks, making me outright laugh. "That bad, huh?"
"I'm not one of his subjects. He can rage all he likes, he can't order someone from another Hold to join the war," I say with a carefree shrug. "Worst case, he tries causing trouble for the Farm but when his best guards are children? I'm not exactly worried."
Skald doesn't seem the type to be subtle. If he's going to try and exert pressure, it'll be through physical threats, not economic sanctions. He might try to confiscate things for the war effort, but when I say no, what's he going to do?
He sends guards. I send Barioth. It's not exactly an even fight, assuming I don't just burn them to ashes myself. I didn't do all this to get pushed around by some obsessed Jarl. I let the Vigilants in because I had nothing to hide, but if they'd tried to take anything by force, we'd have had a problem.
Movement upstairs interrupts us, making me nod to Ciri as she rises and heads up. Ciri saved the girl, and I doubt she wants crowding right now. I'll just make her some food.
– Sudi – Next Day –
Sitting in the living room, she watched through the window as Jorgen went about his business. She'd heard of Chillbloom Farm but assumed the farm owners were crazy to be trying to grow anything up here. As she looked out at the flourishing farm, she shook her head. Crazy seemed the norm around here.
A part of her wondered if she should have gone through with it and ended her own life. At least that way, she could be with her family, right? But no, she shook her head with a scowl. It was unfair to Ciri to think like that, after the older girl had worked so hard and risked her life to save her.
Jorgen seemed sweet, if gruff. He made it clear that she could stay on the farm until she'd decided what she wanted to do with her life. She didn't have the resources to go back to Hammerfell, not that she had anyone left in her birth province. The idea of going back to Frostflow was nightmarish. Even after Ciri killed everything, she'd never be able to sleep peacefully in that place.
Every quiet sound would send her into a fit of terror.
Leaving the house, she got Jorgen's attention as she hugged herself.
"I- is there anything I can do to help, sir?" Sudi asked, and she could see him about to turn her down, probably to tell her to rest before he stopped.
"Aye. Can you feed the Kelbi for me?" Jorgen asked, gesturing to the large pen that had the small deer-like creatures in it. "The feed is over in the shed."
"Of course," Sudi agreed happily, just wanting something, anything, to keep her occupied. It didn't take long, even if she spent most of the time petting their incredibly soft fur, and Jorgen sent her to feed the Mosswine next, keeping her busy. The farm was oddly cosy, unlike the bitter winds around the lighthouse, and the day went by easily enough.
As the chores were finished, Jorgen called for her to follow him, making her blink and run along. He had a list to work through everyday, and she knew it was complete because she had watched him tick off the final task for the day.
Leading her to a small alcove under one of those strange white trees, she froze as she spotted two graves.
"I'll be honest, I don't know what burial rites you Redguards prefer, but either way, I'm guessing anything would be better than rotting in a Falmer cave," Jorgen started, a little awkwardly as he pursed his lips slightly in thought, clearly undecided about how to approach this conversation. "I'm going to take some golems over to the lighthouse with a Popo and cart to gather all your things, and your family."
She appreciated that he didn't call them 'remains'.
"If you'd like, I can bury them here or we can put them closer to the lighthouse-"
"H-here is fine. I- my people usually mummify and bury the bodies, but I don't know anything about that, and my family worship the nine divines, not the Yokudan gods. Just burying them is fine," Sudi explained, flinching as he placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. She hadn't missed how recent the graves seemed. She had wondered how a relatively young man ended up running a farm in the middle of nowhere, but she suspected she had her answer. "I- my father, can you put his remains in the lighthouse fire?"
Jorgen blinked at that, before he simply nodded. Her father loved the Lighthouse, it was his dream. She'd read the journals that Ciri had found during her mission to save them. It was how he wanted his body to be dealt with.
"Aye, I'll handle that myself if you don't want to go back," Jorgen promised. "Anything I should look out for when I'm gathering your things?"
"Just loot the place. Take everything that isn't nailed down, then take the nails for all I care. I'm never going back there. I'd rather you have it than looters," Sudi said stubbornly, making him nod calmly.
"Got it. We'll sort it all out when I bring it back. If nothing else, you can sell it all to get some gold for whatever you decide to do," Jorgen agreed, giving her a reassuring smile. "I know words don't mean a damn thing right now, but it will get better. Slowly, day by day."
Sudi smiled softly at that, barely noticeable as she looked over the two graves. Day by day sounded good. As for what she wanted to do?
Farming didn't sound so bad.
– Jorgen – Next Day –
"I'm not gonna be offended, Ciri, stop dancing around the subject," I sigh, making Ciri chuckle and rub the back of her neck. "You're leaving."
"Not just yet," Ciri admitted before pausing. "But yeah. Frostflow reminded me of some things. I do love it here, but I'm not made for staying in one place."
"Don't sound so damn grim. The farm ain't going nowhere," I huff, rolling my eyes making Sudi giggle quietly. "You're free to leave whenever you want, and just as free to come back when you want a break from the road."
Ciri smiles at that, looking around the house that's been her home for the past week.
"You got a plan, or are you just going to hit the road and see where it leads you?" I ask, making her grin.
"I'm not that reckless. I'm heading to Whiterun on foot, gonna check out these Companions you mentioned," Ciri explains as I nod. Sounds like a plan to me.
"You'll do well for yourself there," I agree, pausing as I summon Ingrid. "Take Ingrid with you, she'll serve you better than she would me. Ingrid, take care of her."
Ciri blinks as the sword zips over to her, catching Ingrid and examining her.
"Jorgen, I can't-"
"You can, you will. Ingrid's too good a blade to gather dust here, and too dainty for me anyway," I scoff, making Ciri hesitate before she chuckles.
"Then I'll take her, thank you," Ciri agrees, watching Ingrid vibrate excitedly. I'll make Ciri some things to make her travels smoother before she goes, as the girl has grown on me in her time here. I'm sure she'll grab Skyrim by the balls.
But that life isn't for me. I've got farming to do.
The Celestial Farmer
Chapter 05: Alftand
– Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon (Ciri) –
It was funny, but despite her grand declaration of her plan to become a companion… she'd proceeded to go back to her slow life on the farm. She still planned to leave, but she had a few reasons for sticking around.
Most importantly, Jorgen was planning to deal with the bandits who killed his parents soon, and she wasn't going to leave him to handle them on his own. It wasn't that she didn't think her fire-breathing, monster-taming friend couldn't handle them, but it was just wrong of her to run off after he'd done so much for her. His searching had found a small group of around a dozen bandits hiding in a nearby Dwemer ruin called Alftand.
She also wanted to make sure Sudi was settling in well. That was the part she was least worried about, as she spotted Sudi combing the male Popo. Maybe she was trying to distract herself, but Sudi had rapidly thrown herself into farm work and seemed to enjoy it, especially taking care of the various animals. The animals seemed to genuinely like her as well. She didn't get headbutted by the goats, and the kelbi didn't charge her.
…Sudi could even go into the Spirit-tailed chicken pen without being set on fire. Was it just her that they hated? Fucking menaces. Wait, was she just bad with animals? Maybe they could tell she hunted their kind for coin?
She knew monsters when she saw them, and basically everything except the goats were absolutely monsters. Even the Mosswine and Kelbi were surprisingly dangerous, but Jorgen had them utterly tamed.
If she was being honest, she also wasn't eager to leave because, as much as adventure called to her, she liked it here. There was a simplicity that she'd not been allowed her entire life. The slow life was not for everyone, but it did call to that part of her that was tired from all the running. Still, Jorgen had said it himself, she was free to go whenever she wanted, and she could come back just as freely. The farm wasn't going anywhere.
Of course, she might be if the Wild Hunt managed to find her. She didn't want to bring them down on Jorgen, as strangely powerful as he seemed.
As for Jorgen himself, he was locked up in his new forge, making something. He'd been strangely vague when it came to what he was doing, and it was taking most of his time.
As she finished her patrol, watching Ingrid float around in amusement, she spotted him coming out of the forge with a satisfied smile on his face. Jorgen wasn't an expressive person, stoic and often almost grim-looking, but she'd gotten good at reading him. As he spotted her, he waved her over with a small smirk on his lips, clearly proud of his work.
"Finally going to tell me what you've been cooped up in there making?" Ciri teased, making him snort and nod, gesturing for her to follow him inside. He was carrying a box filled with something silver, and she could get a hint of white fur as he placed it down and calmly started to pull out the various pieces of what she realised was a very nice set of armour.
Armour that was too small for the mountain of muscle that was Jorgen. That farm boy build worked for him.
"Really? Haven't you given me enough already?" Ciri asked with a fond sigh, making him snort. "Is that… Barioth scales?"
"Yeah," Jorgen admitted. She didn't know how his power worked, but she'd seen him retrieve parts of the monsters without harming them, so she wasn't too surprised as she looked over the surprisingly light and flexible silver armour, lined with white fur. "Skyrim's not a nice enough place for you to run around in a shirt and leather pants."
"Yeah, but you like the way my leather pants look," Ciri countered, making him snort at her playful tone. She'd seen him looking, but she'd been looking too. "Wait, this is why you took my measurements? You said it was for a winter coat."
"It was, and a few other things. Just try it on," Jorgen said, making her laugh as she paused before she stared him dead in the eyes and pulled her top off, letting her small breasts breathe freely. Jorgen's eyes moved down to her bare chest, eyebrow raising slightly as she examined her new armour. "I suppose I should have been clearer. You're welcome to change in your room."
"Oh? Shame you didn't say that earlier," Ciri said, peeling down her leather pants with a confident smirk. She wasn't interested in dating; it didn't really work with her life, but she was no blushing virgin either and she liked what she saw in Jorgen.
Jorgen, to his credit, barely stared at her legs and ass before he rolled his eyes and pushed the armour toward her. He did watch her very closely as she dressed, and she had to admit… she was damn impressed.
Barioth armour was light, surprisingly flexible and easy to move in, and she couldn't deny it was a hell of a lot warmer than her usual outfit. It actually reminded her of some of the better Witcher gear she'd heard about. Maybe heavier than that, as it did slow her down a bit, but she couldn't deny that it was better suited for the cold weather and danger of Skyrim than her clothes. It even had a fur-coated hood for the truly cold weather.
Trying a few moves, she gave Jorgen an impressed smile. He really was a damn good craftsman, wasn't he?
"So, is your plan to get me so indebted to you that I have to pay you back with my body?" Ciri asked, looking at Ingrid and her new armour.
"There's no debt between friends," Jorgen said with another roll of his eyes at her flirting. "But if you want to pay me back a little, I've got some bandits that need killing."
"You're going for them?" Ciri asked, making him nod.
"Barioth is getting too well-known, and frankly, the Popo are too similar to mammoths for the bandits to take the bait, but I'm almost entirely sure the ones in Alftand are the ones who hit the farm. I made a mouse golem and had it sneak in, and some of the things in their hideout look like they could be from the farm. Hard to say, it's been so long since I saw most of it, but they have a stock of horker meat as well, even if it's dwindling. Hunting Horkers isn't easy, especially if you don't know what you're doing," Jorgen explained.
"But your farm had them as livestock, and they were missing when you got back," Ciri continued, making him nod grimly. "What's the plan? I'm in, obviously."
"Alftand goes deep and has Falmer deeper in, so the bandits are stuck to the upper levels. Frankly, I don't expect them to pose a threat to you. I'm going to have Barioth wait at the only entrance for any who run, while we go inside," Jorgen said, and she almost suggested he leave it to her before she stopped herself. "There are nine of them, I think. The mouse isn't perfect, but it's around that many."
These bandits killed his parents. She wouldn't sit around and let someone else do the fighting if something happened to her family. Jorgen noticed her reaction and grinned. It was a dark smile, promising pain to those who had crossed him.
"I made my armour first. I'm not throwing my life away looking for revenge, and I'm well aware that you're a better fighter than me," Jorgen reassured her, with a self-awareness that many people lacked. "I know you could handle them alone, especially with Ingrid, but I have a score to settle with them."
"Just be careful, okay?" Ciri said, making him nod calmly. "When are we going after them?"
"Tomorrow night. They have one person stay on guard, but I suspect we could kill him before he can call for help," Jorgen replied, getting a nod for him. "Made one more thing for you, for your adventure."
"You really are spoiling me," Ciri said, watching him pull out a leather bag designed to be worn at the waist, tossing it over as she looked at it curiously. She could feel the magic coming of it.
"It's a bag of holding, essentially a near-bottomless bag that makes whatever is put inside it weightless," Jorgen explained proudly. "Had the thought that it'd be damn useful after we finished gathering everything from Frostflow."
"You really are amazing, Jorgen. And just a little bullshit," Ciri teased, making him grin.
"Guess you'll have to keep coming back to see what else I've made," Jorgen replied, getting a laugh from her.
"Did you decide what to do with Frostflow? Sudi gave you the deed, right?" Ciri asked, making him nod with a frown.
"She did, but she's young and has just gone through something traumatic. When she's older, she might want it back, so I'm not selling it. I left some golems there to fix the place up and keep the fire lit. If nothing else, it's a source of a small amount of income from Dawnstar, who were paying her family to keep the fire lit," Jorgen explained. "If she ever decides she wants it back, it's hers. If not, I'll hang onto it."
Jorgen really was a nice guy behind his gruff exterior… which was probably why Sudi was crushing on him. He made sure she was doing okay, from one person who lost their family to another, and she knew he'd made sure to set the money he'd gotten from selling the stuff she didn't want aside for her. If Sudi ever decided she wanted to leave, she'd have a nice nest egg waiting for her.
As Sudi came in, she paused as she spotted Ciri in her new armour, gushing over how cool it looked. She also spotted Barioth pressing his face against the window, looking awfully smug before he vanished off to parts unknown. She truly pitied the local wildlife, because if it wasn't on the farm, it was free game for Barioth.
She'd found a mass grave of troll skeletons, picked clean to the bone. Barioth was undeniably an apex predator and ruled this region with an iron paw.
Jorgen started dinner, and she couldn't help but be amused at how much of a housewife Sudi was already becoming as she rushed to help him, talking about her day and how the different livestock were doing. One of the goats was sick, but Jorgen had made a potion out of the strange ingredients that grew here and it seemed to be doing better.
Honestly, there was something… off with the ingredients here, but in the best way. Jorgen called them cultivation materials, but all she knew was that they had an… energy to them and she felt herself getting stronger as she ate the food he made with them.
Gods, she was going to miss the food here when she set off.
For now, she enjoyed the cosy dinner even if Jorgen made her get changed again since wearing armour at the dinner table just looked silly. Popo steaks, grilled spirit-tail chicken with grilled spirit vegetables and snowberry juice. Jorgen made sure they ate like kings.
She was really going to miss the food, wasn't she? She'd actually had a meal in Winterhold after another delivery, and it just wasn't the same even with Jorgen's materials. He claimed his powers gave him the knowledge of how to use any material he extracted, which was why he was able to work Barioth armour with basically no experience with such a material, and it clearly carried over to cooking as well.
And she wondered why she was having such a hard time actually leaving?
– Jorgen –
100cp granted, 100cp total.
As we move closer to Alftand, I force myself to remain calm. I had my mouse retrieve some things that more or less completely confirmed that these are the bandits who murdered my parents. They didn't actually take much because not much of value was around, but some of the more valuable things, including my grandmother's amulet, were stolen.
I look down at the amulet with a grim smile. It's unmistakable, one of the few truly expensive pieces in the family. And these are the bandits who had it.
Our armour makes us blend in with the snow as we look over the ruins that mark the entrance to Alftand. I've drawn a map of the area with the help of my mouse golem, at least the top levels before it gets into Falmer territory, since they're more attentive than the bandits, and I lost one mouse sending it too deep.
The bandits blocked off the doors that went deeper, but my mouse travelled through the same pipes that the Dwemer Spiders used. I really should take some of the Dwemer technology back with me, the Artificer in me loves the idea of it, but I have my priorities.
A single bandit, a wood elf, is standing by the door with a bow. Alftand is built into the side of a cliff-face, and there's scaffolding from when an expedition tried to explore it. I'm guessing they're all dead, which is usually what happens when an expedition goes into a Dwemer ruin. Either way, it's not easy to get to the entrance without being seen on the scaffolding, so having an archer at the end is a good call.
But they failed to account for one little thing.
"Nothing that big should be that quiet," Ciri whispers as we watch Barioth get closer and closer, at the top of the cliff. When he's directly over the bandit, he lunges down and the bandit has all of a second to react to the sudden shadow…
He looks up, and barely opens his mouth before he's been carved in two by the claws, his head inside the mouth of a hungry Barioth. He was wearing a leather helmet, but I don't think it… oh, Barioth spat it out. Without the head. That's good, eating treated leather has to be bad for his stomach.
Barioth slips away in an instant, dragging the body back up the cliff face because vertical icy surfaces are as easy as stairs for him, apparently. We barely get a glimpse of Barioth as he gnaws on the elf as we move forward, but I know he's paying very close attention to the entrance and just daring someone to come out. The entire thing took about five seconds, reminding us both how dangerous Barioth is, especially in the environment that he was made for.
"Every day, I thank whatever sliver of common sense made me decide not to attack Barioth," Ciri jokes, seeing the blood stains going up the side of the ice. I just chuckle darkly, well aware that Barioth would have happily ripped her apart if he thought she was a threat to the farm.
As we enter, we find a pair of dead Khajiits in rags near the entrance. They were killed by an axe, I think, and they look more like labourers than bandits. Part of the expedition that managed to survive until the bandits moved in?
Khajiits and Argonians are used as labourers a lot; I saw a lot of them in the mines. They tend to get worked harder and paid less, so they don't last. Plus, Argonians don't love the cold, and Khajiits aren't much better, so they rarely come this far north unless they don't have a choice.
The lookout died without getting out more than a strangled scream, so I'm unsurprised to find the bandits unaware. It's well past midnight, as we sneak in and I put my helmet on. It's designed to look like a Barioth's head, but I mostly just don't want to take an arrow to the face.
The first bandit we find is on a bedroll, fast asleep with some ale by his side. I don't think it's from my farm, so I'm guessing they're leaving to rob travellers or nearby locations that aren't my farm. He never even wakes up as I bring my axe down on his neck.
Ciri doesn't even flinch at the death. She's got nerves of steel, and she might be trained to fight monsters but she's seen people die before, I'm sure of it. A part of me wants to drag this out, like they dragged out my mother's end, but I'm not going to die because I got cocky and angry.
I'm here to exterminate a pest, nothing more.
Ciri kills the next, moving forward like lightning as a bandit stumbles out of a side room, having heard the sound of my axe. He barely finishes rubbing the sleep from his eyes before his head is flying away from his body, Ingrid cleaving through flesh and bone like it's not even there.
Ciri moves into the side room, checking for any others, and I notice her grabbing everything worth taking and putting it in her bag. She shrugs as she notices my slightly amused stare, which looks funny in her armour and helmet, but I can't deny she's got the right idea.
As we're moving, we hear a shout and spot a bandit staring at us in shock, my axe coated in blood. I don't know if this was supposed to be a changing of the watch or just bad luck, but his shout alerts the rest as footsteps echo through the stone corridors.
The bandit fires an arrow at us as we charge, but it glances off my armour, much to his despair as I lunge forward and swing my axe at his chest. He raises his bow to block the bow, but my axe, also made from Barioth parts, cleaves through it without barely any trouble, his eyes widening as my axe cleaves into his leathers.
Ciri is almost moving forward as I kick the man back, watching him helplessly clutch his ruined chest as blood soaks his leathers. He raises a hand to me desperately, which does nothing to stop my axe from being embedded in his skull.
I spit on his corpse as I pull my axe out, standing on his face to push him back down.
I estimated nine, we've killed four already-
Make that five as Ciri sidesteps a greataxe and cleaves the orc's arm off in a spinning move, slicing his throat as she makes a full rotation.
Two bandits rush toward her from another corridor, but I step in the way with a fierce grin as I turn to them and roar. There's a reason I left my mouth exposed, as fire spews from it and the screaming starts. They barely have a chance to stop, drop and start to roll before I'm staring at a pair of charred corpses with a sneer on my face.
Three more stare in shock, paying for it as Ciri throws Ingrid. The living sword flies forward, swerving to dodge a shield before she spins, flying back through the shield-wielder as she pierces through his chest and back to Ciri's hand.
The last two stare in shock before they run, barreling past us as I hold out an arm to stop Ciri.
A part of me wants to chase them down, but as I take a single step forward… I pause and realise something. It is far crueler to let them run.
They look back at us, seeing us not following them with a mixture of terror and relief on their faces, never asking why I'm letting them get away as they burst through the entrance. I ignore the screaming, taking off my helmet after we confirm there's no one left.
Feat Acheived: Avenge your parents, 200cp. 300cp total.
"You know, I thought it'd be harder," I finally admit, making Ciri chuckle as she removes her own helmet. "Some epic battle for vengeance."
"I think you stacked the decks a little too much for that, Jorgen," Ciri replies, making me chuckle. I don't mind how easy this was, but I see Ciri looking toward the barricaded door. "Up for an adventure?"
"Oh no, that's your lifestyle, not mine," I say, making her laugh and grab my arm. Despite my words, I don't stop her from dragging me toward the Falmer-infested depths of Alftand.
"Come on, Jorgen. You want the Falmer to come out and attack the farm?" Ciri points out, making me pause before I sigh. She's not wrong. If the Falmer come out of Alftand, I'm the closest target for them. I'm sure Barioth would eat them long before they reached the farm, but why leave a threat to fester?
– Later –
Stuffing another dwemer spider into my bag of holding, I sigh as I trail behind the excited Ciri. Yeah, this life is not for me. I like finding things, but this is just tiring. I want to go back to my farm. I have chickens to look after.
Stepping over the dead Falmer, I watch Ciri slaughter her way deeper. I'm sure she has a beaming smile on her face under her helmet, because she seems to really enjoy this life. She's damn good at it as well, the Companions are going to be lucky to have her.
The winding staircases and seemingly endless corridors just annoy me as we keep going, exterminating the Falmer we come across. I've at least found plenty of interesting things, and got a lot of Frostbite Spider venom and Dwemer parts.
That our prize for coming this deep was a murderous Dwemer Centurion doesn't make me feel any better, dragon fire damaging but not finishing the giant automaton as Ciri dances between its attacks. Ingrid is truly sharp as it carves into the ancient metal, and I lunge forward as the outline of a dragon's claw appears over my hand, carving into the back of the machine. I'll admit, the steam hurt like a bitch but a potion fixes me up as we head deeper at Ciri's insistence.
It turns out two members of the expedition actually got this deep… but by the time we found them, they were mad. From the argument we heard as we approached, it seems they'd fallen to paranoia and they were trying to kill each other before we even reached them. Naturally, they attacked us as well, even if the Imperial used the chance to stab the Redguard in the back before he tried to attack us.
He didn't listen when I told him to stop, but he certainly stopped when Ingrid got her point across. This entire adventure has just tired me out, but I spot a strange mechanism as we find the elevator to the surface. It's Dwemer again, and since Ciri dragged me down here, she gets to watch as I spend an hour fiddling with it. She uses the time to loot the place to the bedrock, as I call on my Artificer knowledge to poke and prod at the mechanism. I don't know whether it is stubbornness, luck or skill that makes it finally activate, but I also don't want to think about how long I spent fiddling with it as Ciri rises from where she was sitting on a rock, her eyes widening as the floor retracts to reveal a staircase that goes further down, leading to a set of double doors.
It isn't until we find an ancient dwemer elevator behind them that I feel that tinge of excitement that Ciri seems to thrive off, even if I have my doubts about using such an ancient elevator to begin with. Ciri teases me as I spend far too long going over it to make sure it's not going to fall to pieces and we head down deeper and deeper…
Feat Achieved: Enter Blackreach, 100cp. 400cp total.
As we reach the bottom, my eyes widen as I look over the massive cavern with all manner of mushrooms and strange plants growing, the entire cavern dimly lit by the glowing mushrooms.
"Oh… wow," Ciri murmurs, her eyes alight with the spirit of adventure, but my thoughts are elsewhere.
I can do so much farming down here.
– Next Day –
Neither of us wanted to go home, but it was getting late. Fortunately, the second elevator went up to the surface, not far from Frostflow Lighthouse, actually.
I've heard of Blackreach, but honestly, I didn't believe it was real, but that means that nobody owns it. It's dangerous down there with Falmer and Dwemer Automatons, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up as I examine the various Dwemer parts scattered around my workshop.
I've had my golems go to Alftand and basically loot everything we didn't take, including the bodies and the Centurions, but I've also increased my golem numbers because I have a plan. I've started a tunnel system, slowly making its way to both Frostflow Lighthouse and Alftand, with my golems working tirelessly to spread it out, and I'm going to make a minecart system to allow me to easily move goods and people between the three places. It's taking time since the tunnels have to be reinforced as we dig, but this kind of endless menial labour is exactly what golems were designed for.
By the time they reach Alftand, I'll have some Dwemer Automatons of my own to begin clearing out a foothold in Blackreach, where I can expand my farm to grow the strange and subterranean plants and mushrooms down there. I can feel my 'territory' growing with [Jichinsai], as my golems tunnel away. Frostflow is part of my territory now, and I can sense my reach and senses spreading out. When I reach Alftand, I'm going to reinforce the ever-loving shit out of it and block off the old enterances.
Sure, maybe Jarl Korir has a claim to it as the Jarl, but Dwemer ruins are always a strange one when it comes to ownership. What matters is claiming the Blackreach because that will give me enough room to truly do whatever I want.
I've decided that if I'm going to be a farmer, I'm going to be the best damn farmer this world has seen. I don't know why someone like me got these powers instead of someone like Ciri, but farming is what I know, and farming is what I'm going to do.
My one and only adventure (if I have my way) admittedly was rather profitable, something for which Ciri has been endlessly smug. I used the points I gained when we got home, and the results were admittedly great.
[Chocobo Stable] - 200cp, 200cp
Source: Final Fantasy XI
This item takes the form of a deed, a deed to a chocobo stable. When used, a stable capable of housing and caring for chocobos of all ages will appear over the course of a day (complete with any chocobos you have raised). Here you can find specially trained personnel who take care of and can help train chocobos and have the expertise to aid in the complex science of chocobo breeding and raising. The stable has its own stock of chocobo feed and a rather large crate of specially stored chocobo eggs of varying colors for the purpose of raising into the mighty steeds adventurers know and love. The personnel found here seem to be drawn from whatever world you are in at the time, though they all seem to be experts in chocobo care for some reason. As a side bonus, the chocobo stable can also be used to generate a steady stream of income as they rent out the specially trained birds to those with the proper licenses (which may be acquired on site).
It's fair to say that Sudi has a new favourite place. The personnel mentioned in the description were, in fact… more golems. These ones are more advanced, but they're still golems. I guess it saw how I was already using golems and just took from that.
Most of the chocobos are still eggs, but the stable came with a few fully-grown ones. Ciri seemed highly amused to get her own Chocobo riding license for some reason, but there's a golem that demonstrates the proper riding techniques, and Ciri picked it up quickly.
[Lunar Princess] - 200cp, 0cp
Source: Elden Ring
An Empyrean who cast aside her divine flesh and now inhabits the body of a doll, you have managed to convince Ranni to join you on your travels. She prefers to stay away from physical combat, which is just fine as she has mastered sorcery to a divine degree and is intelligent enough to know that subterfuge is a useful tool that many overlook. Shall you play as her Lord and make her Age of Stars a reality?
Heading inside, I pause as I spot my new farmhand. The four-armed, blue doll dressed in the most obvious mage outfit I've ever seen. Frankly, I'm as confused as she is.
— Bonus Scene — Ranni
Sitting at the alchemy table, she carefully examined the spirit ingredients that her new liege farmed here. She did not understand the machinations of his power and how it reached through the very boundaries of reality, but she could not deny its immense power and potential.
This world was far from the tyranny of the Fingers, and flourishing unlike her own dying, rotting world.
"Have you had a good day, Ranni?" Jorgen asked, the farmer with the power of a God.
"I have enjoyed my delving into the energy these plants possess," Ranni agreed, seeing his eyes drawn to her four arms. He had never seen her kind before, neither an Empyrean nor a Doll. "Hast thou completed your chores?"
"Yeah, got all my daily tasks dealt with. Sudi is still taking care of the chocobos, but the golems will handle the rest," Jorgen explained, making her nod calmly as she hid her thoughts.
She had found an unlikely ally in the one named Ciri in explaining Jorgen's powers, as Ciri reluctantly explained her own Elder Blood and how she suspected that Jorgen had something similar, given the way he was clearly pulling from other worlds without even trying to.
"So, have you decided what you want to do?" Jorgen asked, leaning against the doorframe as she smiled. How many years had she tried to free herself from the manipulations of the Two Fingers? Here, she was beyond their sight, free to plan her ascension and the age of stars while she found a way home. A way she suspected laid through her summoner. She could tell that she could not defy him, but he did not seek to abuse this control over her, nor did he even seem aware of it.
"Didst thou not speak of a college of sorcery nearby?" Ranni asked, making him nod. Her smile grew just a little wider as he told her of the College of Winterhold.