It was traditional for Forsworn spouses to closet themselves off from the rest of the world in a special tent for the first week or so of marriage and Eola was beginning to see why. In between having a lovelorn Cicero doting on her, which frequently led to sex, and then Cicero's other urges kicking in, or indeed her own, which... usually also led to sex, if she was honest, they really were getting nothing done. Definitely time to get out of Markarth and off to Solstheim for some well deserved hunting. Eola hadn't had Dunmer in ages. Would the ash improve the flavour or ruin it, she wondered.
“And Cicero also has Eola's Staff of Tentacular Delights!” Cicero cooed, waving Eola's Solstheim souvenir at her. Ah yes, the Staff of Tentacles. A formidable weapon, but the true significance had only become apparent after the discovery it had two settings – poisonous and non-poisonous, and the latter gave a lot more fine control than the former. After Liriel had discovered this, wondered in front of her husband one night what on earth the point of it was and got more of an answer than she'd bargained for, it had ended up with Eola a few days later, Liriel blushing throughout the conversation as she'd told Eola she really had no use for the thing, no really, none at all.
Eola and Cicero had had plenty of use for the thing. Grinning, she took it off Cicero, and he really needed to stop looking at her like that or they'd never leave.
“Come on,” she told him. “Time's a wasting. The teleport won't wait all day.”
Almost two years free, and the Reachmen had not been idle. Coin beyond their wildest dreams and a king who encouraged all sorts of magical research had led to innovations found nowhere else, as old magic and Dwemer technology had merged. There were lots of little things but probably the biggest change had been Matriarch Keirine being finally able to work out a way of getting the little personal teleportation network she had at Hag's End to work over longer distances, and to develop a few fixed points that would work for anyone. The result? A permanent portal between Markarth and Cwm Prendwemyn, the Reach's Forsworn-built second town in the north at Deepwood Redoubt, with further portals planned at Sundered Towers and Lost Valley in the next year. Madanach had even approached Jarl Elisif to see about building one at Solitude, but so far the High Queen had been adamant in her refusals. Honestly, Nords. So narrow-minded. Weren't they supposed to be brave? It only involved standing in a magic circle while ReachGuard witchblades stood around you and chanted while sprinkling blood, and then your entire body dissolved and reassembled itself at the other end in seconds. Just because a few of the initial test subjects had died in agony was no reason to abandon such a useful invention in Eola's mind.
So off to what had once been the Shrine of Talos, now home to Markarth City Teleportation Chamber. Goodbyes had been said to Madanach, and now Eola and Cicero were making their way through Markarth's winding city streets. Teleport to Cwm Prendwemyn, a nice restful night at Keirine's, then the carriage to Solitude, ship to Windhelm and then on to Raven Rock. There in a week hopefully. Then two weeks spent murdering their way through Solstheim and back. Great fun!
Cicero skipped ahead, already cackling to himself about slaughtering the Morag Tong, turning a corner into the passage leading to the teleport chamber. Then she felt his mood change to surprise... and delight.
“LISTENER!!!” she heard him shriek, and Eola ran after him. Liriel back already and porting in from Hag's End?? How'd she ended up there? Eola couldn't wait to hear this.
Re: Thicker Than Blood 2.2
“And Cicero also has Eola's Staff of Tentacular Delights!” Cicero cooed, waving Eola's Solstheim souvenir at her. Ah yes, the Staff of Tentacles. A formidable weapon, but the true significance had only become apparent after the discovery it had two settings – poisonous and non-poisonous, and the latter gave a lot more fine control than the former. After Liriel had discovered this, wondered in front of her husband one night what on earth the point of it was and got more of an answer than she'd bargained for, it had ended up with Eola a few days later, Liriel blushing throughout the conversation as she'd told Eola she really had no use for the thing, no really, none at all.
Eola and Cicero had had plenty of use for the thing. Grinning, she took it off Cicero, and he really needed to stop looking at her like that or they'd never leave.
“Come on,” she told him. “Time's a wasting. The teleport won't wait all day.”
Almost two years free, and the Reachmen had not been idle. Coin beyond their wildest dreams and a king who encouraged all sorts of magical research had led to innovations found nowhere else, as old magic and Dwemer technology had merged. There were lots of little things but probably the biggest change had been Matriarch Keirine being finally able to work out a way of getting the little personal teleportation network she had at Hag's End to work over longer distances, and to develop a few fixed points that would work for anyone. The result? A permanent portal between Markarth and Cwm Prendwemyn, the Reach's Forsworn-built second town in the north at Deepwood Redoubt, with further portals planned at Sundered Towers and Lost Valley in the next year. Madanach had even approached Jarl Elisif to see about building one at Solitude, but so far the High Queen had been adamant in her refusals. Honestly, Nords. So narrow-minded. Weren't they supposed to be brave? It only involved standing in a magic circle while ReachGuard witchblades stood around you and chanted while sprinkling blood, and then your entire body dissolved and reassembled itself at the other end in seconds. Just because a few of the initial test subjects had died in agony was no reason to abandon such a useful invention in Eola's mind.
So off to what had once been the Shrine of Talos, now home to Markarth City Teleportation Chamber. Goodbyes had been said to Madanach, and now Eola and Cicero were making their way through Markarth's winding city streets. Teleport to Cwm Prendwemyn, a nice restful night at Keirine's, then the carriage to Solitude, ship to Windhelm and then on to Raven Rock. There in a week hopefully. Then two weeks spent murdering their way through Solstheim and back. Great fun!
Cicero skipped ahead, already cackling to himself about slaughtering the Morag Tong, turning a corner into the passage leading to the teleport chamber. Then she felt his mood change to surprise... and delight.
“LISTENER!!!” she heard him shriek, and Eola ran after him. Liriel back already and porting in from Hag's End?? How'd she ended up there? Eola couldn't wait to hear this.