10 Heartfire
Dearest Kara
Your mentioning of alchemy reminds me that I have been neglecting my
own work in same. I'm afraid I haven't learned much about any of the
plants and animal properties here in Morrowind. Everything is so
strange. I spend more time running errands for one guild or another
than doing anything interesting.
I must say that the local Blades Master--one Caius--talks as if the
Emperor is still alive and giving orders. Could that be the reason all
the transportation to the mainland is shut down? Do you think they are
trying to keep the death of the Emperor quiet to avoid revolts in the
provinces?
I did try to put a potion of burden on an arrow, but only succeeded
in burdening myself. I had to quite sit around waiting for the drink
to wear off. I think I'll stick with enchanted arrows. Or silver
arrows. I like silver arrows. They are light, and work well against
undead. There is just something about silver that is intoxicating,
don't you think?
- Your loving sister,
Rose of the Blue Waters

11 Heartfire
Dearest Rose,
Most of the last two days has been spent waiting. Waiting at
Doomstones for the stars to shine, waiting until morning to travel,
waiting for shops to open, waiting for mages to rise, waiting for the
chapel priest to be ready to sell spells.
Do you have Doomstones in Morrowind? These little stone obelisks in a
ring of stones hold magic powers. Sometimes they are qutie useless,
like that Aetherius stone that told me a hero's fate is determined by
his deeds, or something like that. However, the Apprentice stone has
given me the power to--for a short time--enhance my Illusion spells
and, more importantly, my alchemy skills.
And the Reman stone was quite a rush. It gave me a bound battle axe
and shield and I went running around chopping up deranged zombies like
some great warrior. Most exhilerating.
Well, now it is night again. Time to go back to Skingrad and wait
for dawn. I am not traveling to kvatch in the dark. I simply am not.
It isn't safe on the roads of Cyrodiil. Not safe at all.
Post Script: It rained all the way to Kvatch, with a rain so dark it
seemed like night. It is night now, and I am about to head up to the
city. I do not know if I will make it through this day, Beloved
Sister. If I do not, then I shall see you again at the Bright Waters.
- Shadow Hide You
Kara of the Blue Waters.

12 Heartfire
Dearest kara,
If you get yourself killed, I am not going to be the one to explain
it to Mother. Explain it yourself.
Myself, I have not been doing anything dangerous. I have been
getting sea sick and strider sick carrying crystal seeds all over
Vvardenfel. I'd managed to capture that dwemer ghost soul for a mage
in Havish, and thought I'd run some deliveries for the travel mage.
She is able to make magic transport over seas if she has a crystal to
locate on. So I have been planting crystals for her. The mage guild
travel is quite remarkable. Things go briefly dark and you get
slightly queasy, and the 'poof' you are at another guild. It is so
much better than the rather long bouts of very much more than slightly
queasy one gets on a swaying beast or boat. I am not sure which is
worse, beast travel or boat travel.
- Let me know if you I still have a loving sister to write,
Rose of the Blue Waters.

13 Heartfire, 3E433
Dearest Rose,
Well, I am still alive. You do not have to face Mother. I arrived
in Kvatch at sunset on the 11th. It is now almost midnight on the
13th, and I have been fighting all the while in between. From pouring
rain, to burning skies, to pouring rain again I fought. I ran out of
arrows. I ran out of poisons. I ran out of healing potions. I am now
an apprentice and blade and nearly one in destruction (having had
potions of sorcery left when my arrows ran out). I have 35 fire salts,
and too many scamp skins and deadra hearts to bother counting. I am
exhausted, and nearly everyone I fought beside is dead. Though, mostly
I fought alone, through the dark hellfire lavas of Oblivion. I did
finally get the Gate to Oblivion closed. This has been two days I
shall remember with searing intensity until I die. Which hopefully
will be telling tales to my great grandchildren. Who will all be quite
sure I am exagerating, even when I soften the truth of these days.
In the morning, I am going to take bloody Martin to the bloody priory
and be done with emperors and deadra for good!
-Shadow Hide You
Kara of the Blue Waters

16 Heartfire, 3E433
Dearest Kara,
Well, I am certainly glad you managed to stay alive. And to close
off the Gate to Oblivion. There is no sign of Oblivion here. Myself,
I have just been solving a few little problems for the legion around
Gnisis and traveling back and forth to Havish.
I must say that the rules of evidence here in Morrowind are quite
suspect. Would the legion take the word of a ghost that he was
murdered: no. Would they look at some silly axe with a notch out of
it and order a man's death: yes. Whose to say how the notch got in the
axe except the ghost? Or the murderer?
- Shadow Hide You, too
Rose of the Blue Waters

17 Heartfire, 3E433
Dearest Rose,
The rules of evidence in Cyrodiil are just as bad. I was getting in
good with the merchant's guild here by tracking down a graverobber.
Was his list of dead people and what he'd taken from them sufficient:
no. Was the testimony of his unwhitting partner: no. Was a shovel
with dirt on it: yes. Shovels with dirt on them are apparantly unusual
here in the Imperial City.
The last few days have been hectic. I was not quite correct that
this affair with Oblivion would end when I got Martin to Weynon Priory.
Are the Gates opening up in Morrowind, too? To close them, you must
get to the top of the high tower with the pulsing column of light and
remove the spinning Sigil Stone. The Sigil Stones are also useful for
making enchanted items. I now have a very nice necklace of Life
Detection, which is quite helpful when in dark places.
I've become quite famous here: it seems everyone knows me as the
'hero of Kvatch', the one who closed an Oblivion Gate. I'm sure you
understand that, given portions of my line of work, instant recognition
is not always desirable.
I have become an expert in alchemy, if I do say so myself. The
opportunities to mix poisons and healing potions should be much better
now. Once I get some more ingredients. That Void Seed power is quite
helpful.
I shall be thinking of you tomorrow night as I gaze at the moons
(assuming it is not raining). Look on them and think of me.
- Shadow Hide You,
Kara of the Blue Waters.

18 Heartfire,
Dearest Kara,
What a lovely idea to gaze at the moons together! I had thought that
I would be gazing only at a wet sky, for it has been raining all day.
But as sunset approached, the skies cleared and I saw the moons! We
should do this again. Perhaps at the full moons?
Believe it or not, I have joined the Imperial Legion. It makes me
sound quite respenctable, don't you think? In addition to running some
small errands for the Legion and the Imperial Cult, I have been looking
into this Neverever...whatever legend for Caius. It gives me an excuse
to travel, while I do a little of this and a little of that.
Pelegiad is lovely today. Laura wants to buy a house here. But
having just bought a house in Sadrith Mora and that one in Haldenshore
for Zerdon, I am not quite sure I want to buy another just yet.
Actually, I am still living in the little Traveler's Tent in
Balmora....when I'm in Balmora, that is. Hmm, I didn't tell you about
Zerdon, did I? He is quite cuite, and reminds me of cousin
Randy--kissing cousin Randy. He's trying to start up Den of Delights,
and, what can I say, he is pretty. And I am out 5000 gold...less a bit
of return on my 'investment'. Fortunately, Laura does not object to
Zerdon.
- Shadow Hide You, too.
Rose of the Blue Waters

{At this point, Rose is level 10 and Kara is level 13. Playing both is
fun, though keeping them synchronized is a little difficult as the
'pace' of Morrowind seems faster than the 'pace' of Oblivion. This is
not helped by Rose's sleeping, traveling more and occasionally
training. At any rate, this duet approach is one I'd recommend to any
Oblivion role-player who misses MW.}

DeAnn wrote:

<snip>
> {At this point, Rose is level 10 and Kara is level 13. Playing both
> is fun, though keeping them synchronized is a little difficult as the
> 'pace' of Morrowind seems faster than the 'pace' of Oblivion. This is
> not helped by Rose's sleeping, traveling more and occasionally
> training. At any rate, this duet approach is one I'd recommend to
> any Oblivion role-player who misses MW.}

Please do keep these up, they are wonderfully entertaining.

--�
Mark.