Confessions of a Dunmer Kleptomaniac (Let's Play Morrowind)

[Zarah]

Is an update coming soon? I greatly enjoy your style, and am eagerly anticipating the next chapter.

Right then. How about right now?

Spoiler

Show

CHAPTER THREE
Fargoth Gets Whats Coming to Him

I made my way back to town shortly after discovering the second body. I killed off a couple more mudcrabs along the way, but didn't find any more dead people to loot. While somewhat disappointing, I decided it was probably for the best.

The sun was on its way out, but it was still far too light to spy on Fargoth, so I killed some time by talking with a local guard. He mentioned something about how the local tax collector had gone missing.

Uh-oh.

I was pointed in the direction of the census and excise office to talk to Socucius Ergalla if I had any information. Although I didn't want to spend any more time than necessary with these law-men, I decided it might be a good idea, lest I be caught carrying around his tax information.



I confessed that I had found his body in the swamp and that he was likely murdered. He took the list of tax records and looked over them for a long time. He then asked if there was any money left on him, obviously hopeful that the taxes themselves were still safe. And that they were.

In my pocket. I started to panic, not knowing exactly what I should do. On one hand, if I told them the truth, they may have commended me and thanked me for bringing the money back. On the other hand, they might have accused me of the murder and thrown me into the nearest prison cell. Bastards. I bet they set it all up just to put me in the situation.

Well, I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. I denied seeing any of the tax money on his body. Socucius seemed a little defeated, but thanked me for the information anyway. He bid me a quick farewell before I left the room as quickly as I could. They didn't get me that time.



I pawned off a few pieces of loot I had acquired at Arrille's, then turned my eyes back to the road. I decided to take the other fork out of town this time, but I didn't get very far before someone caught my eye.



I wandered up to the dock to see what her story was. Maybe she could tell me what that monstrous thing behind her was. I asked her for her name and she said it was Darvame Hleran.



Me: "Wait a minute."

I recognized the name. The man I had spoken to earlier mentioned her when he was talking about the Silt Strider. He said to mentioned his name if I ever spoke to her.

Me: "Do you know a Vodunius Nuccius?"

Darvame: "I certainly do. Poor guy, I don't think he likes it here in Morrowind."

Me: "Well, who would, really?"

For some unknown reason, I took it upon myself to pry into this man's personal life. I charged back into town and approached Vodunius again.



Turns out, he was particularly unhappy in Morrowind. He wanted to leave at the first chance he could get, but he didn't have the money, 100 gold to be precise. Good luck getting any from me, buddy.

Vodunius: "I have this ring here. It's a family heirloom, but I don't want the thing. I'm sure it's worth more than the 100 gold and if you can pay me then I'll gladly let you keep it."

Pay 100 gold for an enchanted ring that's obviously worth more? I made that transaction faster than a... Well, something that's fast. I haven't really seen any fast wildlife here in Morrowind yet, so I don't have the best analogies set up.

Anyway, I handed him the money and he passed me the ring. I held it up into the sunlight, wondering just how much I could get for it if I sold it for its real pri—



Me: "Son of a..."

So much for good deeds. I didn't want to deal with any more people around Seyda Neen, so I set out on the road again, but this time something caught my eye before I made it up the first hill.



As I moved closer, I could definitely see that there was something tucked away inside those rocks.



A cave! Of course! Arrille had mentioned something about smugglers hiding out nearby. I wonder if they were looking for any help. I could certainly use a reliable fence for all my stolen goods. Arrille paid crap for the stuff I was bringing him, so maybe I could fetch a better price on the black market.



As soon as I entered the cave, I saw a woman pacing around a campfire. I called out to her and continued to descend the ramp before me. I hoped she was in a friendly mood.



She wasn't.

It only took a few hits with my sparksword to bring her down. She didn't have much for loot on her other than a key of some sort. I snatched it from her pocket and made for the gate leading deeper into the smuggler's hideout.



I saw another man down below in the next room. He caught sight of me immediately and I wondered if he was any nicer than the woman out front.



He wasn't.

Surprisingly, he was a mage of some kind and began to hurl spells at me as fast as he could. Even more surprising was how pathetically easy they all were to dodge. A sidestep here, a sidestep there and before I know it, he's out of juice. When it came to close-combat, he didn't last very long.

I went upstairs to find a locked gate. The key I had pillaged earlier fit the lock perfectly and inside I found three slaves, who all looked at me hopefully.



Slave: "Are you here to ressscue us?"

Me: "Well actually, I was just kinda passing through and—"

Slave: "Pleassse! Free usss! We shall do anything!"

Me: "Hmm..."

I unlocked their bracers, hoping they would pay me something in return. Perhaps they would join me as my own personal army. I always wanted a personal army.

What I got was their slave bracers, which were barely worth the trouble of carrying them. They all sprinted out of the cave, proclaiming their freedom and shouting for joy. No doubt they would go straight to the first tavern they could and party until they passed out, just to make a fool out of me.

Now angered by my lousy prize, I continued through the cave. I stopped to get a drink of water from a small pool, but felt a sharp pain in my side as I tried to bend over. Heart attack? No, not at all. I reached down and felt a ninja star sticking from my soft flesh.



She fancies herself a ninja, does she. We'll see how well she can really dodge. I grabbed my bow and knocked an arrow. It soared off toward her, but she managed to sidestep it before it struck. Damn, maybe she was better than I gave her credit for.

I drew another arrow, but this time I decided to be a little trickier. I poked the end of it through the sleeve of my robe, hoping that it would divert her attention and give me a chance. I dubbed the trick "the sleeveshot."



I released the arrow and watched as it shot from my sleeve toward her. She still dodged it, so I said "screw the bow," grabbed my sparksword and promptly laid her to rest.



I noticed that I had taken a few hits during my time in the cave, so I decided to try out that new healing spell I had bought.



After doing the proper hand movements and watching my palms light up with a blue glow...



I let out a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long day.

Not far from her location, I found a few crates with some goodies inside. I found a halberd inside a chest that was interestingly smaller than the halberd itself. I wondered how many of these strange pocket dimension containers existed within the borders of Morrowind.

Beyond there, the cave became dark. There were no more torches lighting my way and I soon found myself underwater, swimming through a tunnel and into a new chamber.



There wasn't much light for me to see after emerging from the stagnant water, but a slight blue glow did catch my eye.



The mushrooms were apparently emitting some kind of light. I reminded myself never to eat them, then saw a few gold coins hiding in the low grass. I also managed to find a leather pauldron and more surprisingly, yet another magical ring.



Boy, I was finding these things by the truckload.

I climbed my way through the cave a little more before coming to an opening over a larger chamber that looked a little familiar.



I had gone in a circle. Nuts. Since the cave had little more to offer me, I made my way to the entrance and back outside, leaving the smugglers where they belonged. ...Underground... I guess.



The sun was setting, and what little daylight that remained was running thin. It was time to set the trap for Fargoth.

As soon as I stepped foot back into town, the sky opened up and it began to rain. A storm like I had never seen before thundered overheard as the citizens... Well, they didn't really seem to mind the rain all that much. They just kept wandering around.

I decided that the lighthouse would be the best place to go in order to spy on Fargoth as he crept around town, so I nonchalantly headed to the other side of town, hoping he didn't notice me.



Inside, I met a woman, who was standing guard with a bucket and broom.



She didn't say much, so I didn't spend a lot of time talking to her. I did take notice of a small, paper lantern nearby. When she turned her back for a moment, I grabbed it and headed up the stairs.



There, I found even more goodies. A rather expensive book and a bottle of alcohol called "Greef," which I'm sure is what I was causing these people.



I tucked them both into my robe, took another lantern from the wall and went outside. Atop the lighthouse, I could see much more of the town, and I didn't have to wait long before I noticed Fargoth sneaking about.



For some reason, he decided to be different and hold a torch while doing so. Unfortunatly for him, he happened to be the only one with a torch. I guess he wasn't very good at this whole "subtle" thing.

The rain was making it hard to keep a close eye on him from such a distance, so I went back down to ground level. I kept my distance at first, but I soon learned that Fargoth didn't seem to care that I was watching him. I guess he was really wasn't very good at this whole "subtle" thing.



After wandering around town a bit, he made one last stop at a hollow tree stump in the middle of the bog in town.



He reached inside, fished around a bit, then wandered off as if nothing was out of the ordinary. I moved in as soon as he was out of sight and plundered everything I found. 300 gold pieces and a lockpick. Oh, Fargoth. Getting into trouble, were we?

I went back to the tradehouse to report into Hrisskar. He thanked me for my help and greedily took the gold I had found. He let me keep 100 pieces and the lockpick as a reward. I should have been smarter than that. I should have taken the money and ran.

Feeling cheated, I went back out into the pouring rain and walked straight up to a house that proudly displayed the name "Fargoth."



After a few unsuccessful attempts at picking his lock, it eventually gave way and I crept inside. It was still empty, which didn't surprise me. It was a single-room house, and was completely stocked with every kind of alcoholic beverage I could list.





It was all starting to make sense. Fargoth was hoarding liquor, which he would then sell for huge profits to the smugglers nearby. No wonder the little fetcher had so much money to hide away. And I had had the very same money ripped from my hands by a greedy Nord. It was time I repay Fargoth.



I cleaned out everything. Every bottle from every shelf and cupboard. Even the candlestick. I left him with nothing. It was too late for me to travel onward, so I decided to add insult to injury and sleep in his bed for the night.

I awoke the next morning, still in his bed. Fargoth had obviously not come home from the previous night. Right before I left the now barren house, I grabbed his pillow and stuffed it into my robe.



The first thing I did was unload all of Fargoth's possessions at the tradehouse, including the pillow, before he noticed me still in town. Then I turned my sights northward, my mind set with only one objective: Get to Balmora.



The rain was still falling, though at least the thunder and lightning had stopped. It wasn't going to be a pleasant trip, but it was better than going at night.



A signpost right outside of town guided me to my path. I climbed atop the hill where the silt strider dock was waiting, then looked out over the road set before me.



Me: "Balmora, here I come."

To be continued...

Stay tuned for Chapter 4: Meet The Undead (Then Join Them)

[Fayd]

It's odd...I go to your (I assume your) anti-HEROES comic, and it will invariably change this thread's icon to that of AH. And only this thread. I have 2 other GitP threads bookmarked and they stay the same...

What foul black magick is this? A funny odd glitch, to be sure.

[Player_Zero]

Well, actually, I was exaggerating. The truth is, I only steal anything if it's really valuable.

For example, three Master's Mortar and Pestles? Oh yeah. Get in mah pocket.

You have large pockets.

But yeah, without looting at the very least you're restricted to doing tasks for people to earn a living. Or rather, to earn enough to imbue your trousers with magical energy enough to defeat a god.

[Fri]

Is that a master pestle or you're just happy to see me ?

Magic trouser... now I remember. My biggest, I mean BIGGEST peeve on oblivion was the inability to put a robe after my armor.

[Vizen]

Is that a master calcinator or you're just happy to see me ?

Fixed.

Poor...Uhh...Character? What was the name? Blah. Always being cheated.

[Terraoblivion]

Yes. Oblivion didn't allow you to wear a stylish robe on top of your armor and who would pick a robe over a suit of armor?

And the kleptomania of this game is hilarious. I mean i started playing again yesterday as a good, pious Dunmer. So of course i went on the pilgrimage almost first thing out of Seyda Neen and headed to Ghostgate. And robbed the armorer of all his glass stuff before his very eyes. He seems kinda stupid that he cannot see where his priceless glass armor is going when he saw a dunmer woman enter the room a short while before and then leaving a short while after.

[Stormthorn]

In morrowind i liked to put on glass houlder things because with a certain type of robe part of it would stick through just right so it looked like you had emerald decorations on your lapel.

Now i feel the need to go play that game again.


Your guy should'v gotten that artifact ring in the cave near the starting town. If i remember correctly its protected by only a ghost and a trap.

[Zarah]

Your guy should'v gotten that artifact ring in the cave near the starting town. If i remember correctly its protected by only a ghost and a trap.

The Ancestor's Ring, yeah I'm well aware of it, but I felt like it would break the flow a little too much if I went off to find some random tomb. Remember, I'm not trying to do this as an efficient run, this is all about telling the story.

With that said, I'll probably go back and get it at some point in the future, since it's a good ring to have.

[Rutskarn]

You have large pockets.

But yeah, without looting at the very least you're restricted to doing tasks for people to earn a living. Or rather, to earn enough to imbue your trousers with magical energy enough to defeat a god.

Not that doing tasks for people is exactly hard. On the road from Caldera to Ald-Ruhn alone, I ran into five different side quests.

It's worth mentioning that most of those people ended up dead.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Yes. Oblivion didn't allow you to wear a stylish robe on top of your armor and who would pick a robe over a suit of armor?

No, no Oblivion didn't. I presume this was because Robes could holdreally, really good enchantments, and this was put into place to prevent having ridiculous amounts of them.In Morrowind, you can wear:
2 Pauldrons
2 Gauntlents
Boots or Shoes
Greaves
Curiass
Shirt
Pants
Skirt
Robe

In Oblivion its:
Robe, shoes and hood
OR
Boots, Gauntlets, Curiass, Pauldrons
OR
Shirt, Pants, Shoes (Gauntlet, Hood or Helmet)

Some Mix-n-match is possible, yes, but not much.
Personally, I like my character running around with a Glass Left Arm and Torso and unarmoured everything else. Or an Ebony Left Arm and Bonemold everywhere else.
It looks cool.

The Ancestor's Ring, yeah I'm well aware of it, but I felt like it would break the flow a little too much if I went off to find some random tomb. Remember, I'm not trying to do this as an efficient run, this is all about telling the story.

With that said, I'll probably go back and get it at some point in the future, since it's a good ring to have.

I don't recall this ring a'tall.

[Rutskarn]

No, no Oblivion didn't. I presume this was because Robes could holdreally, really good enchantments, and this was put into place to prevent having ridiculous amounts of them.In Morrowind, you can wear:
2 Pauldrons
2 Gauntlents
Boots or Shoes
Greaves
Curiass
Shirt
Pants
Skirt
Robe

In Oblivion its:
Robe, shoes and hood
OR
Boots, Gauntlets, Curiass, Pauldrons
OR
Shirt, Pants, Shoes (Gauntlet, Hood or Helmet)

Pauldrons come with the Curiass in Oblivion.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Pauldrons come with the Curiass in Oblivion.

Gimmie a break, that was from memory, I didn't want to boot up my Xbox to confirm.
(Thanks for the catch)

[Fayd]

Constant effect +10 INT +10 Willpower ring, and can be sold to the Museum in Mournhold. Found in some random vampire tomb, next to Easter egg ashes (a memorial to someone who died during production). It's...where again...I know I find it if I do the flowers quest for Ajirra, or however her name is spelled.

[Hannes]

Actually, this was the first time I realised Greef as a pun on grief...

I guess I failed my spot check /sense pun check a lot of times...

[Rutskarn]

I don't mean to hijack Z's thread, but I actually started my own Morrowind LP. I had the idea before I saw this thread, so don't you go callin' copycat, now.

It's half personal story, half travelogue and commentary on the games. Thrill as my hero bites his lip off not being a kleptomaniac, boldy defies faceless, toothless bureaucrats, and is reduced to streaking to keep on schedule.

In a Hostile Country: The Saga of Cahmel.

Anyway, I'm not sure this forum needs two Morrowind LPs, so until I've made up my mind on that, I'm hosting the LPs here. There are two entries so far.

[Fri]

copycat

[Rutskarn]

copycat

I will assault your nostrils with the Fork of Horripilation.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Man, I wanna do an LP of Oblivion, just to point out the differeances between it and Morrowind.
But I don't know how to even start doing an LP using my Xbox unless I want to make shakey, low-quality Youtube videos.

[DamnedIrishman]

And it is the rats that scare you, Fri? For me it is those damn cliff racers that cause terror in me.

There's nothing quite as satisfying as dropping a cliffracer with a crossbow long-range from a mountaintop.

Oh, Huntsman's Crossbow, those were the days...

EDIT:

Constant effect +10 INT +10 Willpower ring, and can be sold to the Museum in Mournhold. Found in some random vampire tomb, next to Easter egg ashes (a memorial to someone who died during production). It's...where again...I know I find it if I do the flowers quest for Ajirra, or however her name is spelled.

Actually, it's the Mentor's Ring, not the Ancestor's Ring as was stated earlier.
And the easter egg ashes arethe Ashes of Lord Brinne, who was an individual active on the Elderscrolls forums who died during the development of Morrowind. I think that it was a nice gesture.

[Jibar]

Man, I wanna do an LP of Oblivion, just to point out the differeances between it and Morrowind.
But I don't know how to even start doing an LP using my Xbox unless I want to make shakey, low-quality Youtube videos.

Well the PC version does make for some... interesting LPs.

[Stormthorn]

Man, I wanna do an LP of Oblivion, just to point out the differeances between it and Morrowind.
But I don't know how to even start doing an LP using my Xbox unless I want to make shakey, low-quality Youtube videos.

I said essentialy the same thing a few pages ago.

Im considering just positn a journal for my character, but then people who have never played the game wont have any referance.


And that LP you linked to. Who does that? One of the voices sounds like a thing i heard on some website witht hese dudes a-talkin about DnD. I believe it was the people at the Fear The Boot website.

[Recaiden]

I was thinking of doing an LP of Oblivion using screenshots, like here. If only I could fix my water.

[Freako]

Since we're on the subject of Oblivion Let's Plays, I feel the need to mention Livin' in Oblivion (link to introduction), by Chris Livingston. Some of you may know him as the guy who did Concerned.

The guy basically tries to live out the life of an NPC, deliberately avoiding any sort of "quest" the game throws at him. It's pretty hilarious IMO, and it shows that Oblivion's good for more than just dungeon-crawling.


Back on topic, I have to thank Zarah for writing this LP. It's convinced me to dig up Morrowind again and give it another try. I had logged hundreds of hours in Oblivion before I ever tried Morrowind, so I was kind of put off by the combat system at first, but now that I've gotten over it, I'm loving the game. It really is better than Oblivion in so many ways.

[chiasaur11]

Since we're on the subject of Oblivion Let's Plays, I feel the need to mention Livin' in Oblivion (link to introduction), by Chris Livingston. Some of you may know him as the guy who did Concerned.

The guy basically tries to live out the life of an NPC, deliberately avoiding any sort of "quest" the game throws at him. It's pretty hilarious IMO, and it shows that Oblivion's good for more than just dungeon-crawling.


Back on topic, I have to thank Zarah for writing this LP. It's convinced me to dig up Morrowind again and give it another try. I had logged hundreds of hours in Oblivion before I ever tried Morrowind, so I was kind of put off by the combat system at first, but now that I've gotten over it, I'm loving the game. It really is better than Oblivion in so many ways.

There's actually a third lets play of morrowind going on right now too.

By a Brit gaming journalist, Alec Meer of Rock Paper Shotgun.

Link's here. Guess it's one of those great minds think alike bits.

[Recaiden]

Since we're on the subject of Oblivion Let's Plays, I feel the need to mention Livin' in Oblivion (link to introduction), by Chris Livingston. Some of you may know him as the guy who did Concerned.

The guy basically tries to live out the life of an NPC, deliberately avoiding any sort of "quest" the game throws at him. It's pretty hilarious IMO, and it shows that Oblivion's good for more than just dungeon-crawling.

I've seen it. It's very entertaining. But I plan on doing this one as a PC, if I do. And I fixed the water!

[Uncle Festy]

Awesomewin.
*subscribes*

[Elder Wraith]

I played an Imperial 'Silk', I believe the class was called (custom-made) on the Xbox GOTY edition. Despite having a high personality, he was a right ****tard. He went into houses, locked or unlocked, killed, ripped everything off, sold it, repeat.

Oh, and I didn't give fargoth's money to hrisskar. And if you give Fargoth his ring back, you can get it from the stump and weedle information out of him.

In Balmora, I captured a mansion. I was only ment to get the key from the owner, but I killed him and kept it mor myself instead.

He is now a LV3 fighters guild thieves guild Longsword-wielding Bonemold-wearing very rich ****tard.

I know I've not gotten very far.

[Bouregard]

Whats wrong with you! Update please. I wana see Mr. I-steal-the-nails-that-nail-everything-down fight those undeads! (Or do you try to pich their spines and watch them felll apart?)

[Elder Wraith]

Whats wrong with you! Update please. I wana see Mr. I-steal-the-nails-that-nail-everything-down fight those undeads! (Or do you try to pich their spines and watch them felll apart?)

Uhhhh....What he said.

[Zarah]

An update is coming. I've been working a fair bit in the past couple days and haven't really had much time to get anything done, but the screenshots are ready to go. All I have to do is write the next chapter.

(Besides, I have a comic that I need to neglect too, so... )