For the next several segments in my Skyrim series, I'd like to be on items known as Daedric artifacts and the corresponding quest for it. But in order to do so, I feel I should give some background on where they come from and the Daedra to which they belong. I will go into more depth on each realm in the explanation of each quest, as well as which leader rules over which realm.
The Daedra are defined as not having taken part in the creation of Mundus, the realm of Oblivion in which the Elder Scrolls takes place. There are many forms of Daedra, however only a few are encountered within Skyrim, mainly the elemental atronachs and the highly intelligent and deadly dremora. Among the Daedra, there are certain elite beings, or true Daedra, that rule over the different realms of Oblivion called Daedric Princes. There are seventeen princes, all associated with a characteristic that reflects themselves and their realm. For example, Sheogorath is the Daedric Prince of Madness, ruling over the realm known as the Shivering Isles. The DLC in the Elder Scrolls IV revealed that he was, indeed, quite mad, (insane), and that his realm was split in two to symbolize his somewhat split personality.
While they are generally considered to be evil and demonic, Daedra are just interpreted as such. They have a tendency to go to extremes in many cases, leading many people to believe such things. However, in reality, Daedra are infinitely incomprehensible to mortals, meaning Daedra are completely devoid of true good or true evil. Only six of the seventeen Daedric Princes actually take pleasure in such extremities, most of them contributing to the mortals' four pillars of destruction.
A Daedra cannot ever be truly killed. When a Daedra is "killed," it actually undergoes what is called banishment. Banishment is when the physical form of a Daedra is interrupted in such a way that it causes the being to fade into the void of Oblivion until it can return in another physical form. It essentially removes the Animus, or soul, of the Daedra until it can find a way to reincarnate itself.
Daedra are not only very skilled fighters and magic wielders, but also master craftsmen. Their weaponry and armor are renowned by many for being practically indestructible. They attain this legendary masterwork by using only raw ebony of the highest quality and infusing it with the soul of a Daedra through a dark ritual.
WC: 412
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Pffft, Sexism
In our AP Lang class, we've been watching a documentary called Miss Representation and dealing with various other topics regarding gender and gender roles. Because of this, I'd like to touch on something that can be quite the hot topic: sexism. A lot of people think that this is still a major issue in America right now and to some extent it still exists. But this notion that women aren't getting the same representation as men starts to get ridiculous and redundant. The same arguments always tend to come up, like how there are more men in political, scientific and mathematical professions and how it's completely based on sexism towards women or that women can't make their way up the ladder. I can't tell you how sick I am of hearing these claims.
The first part of this is gender discrimination of females in the workforce. In the documentary, they state several little factoids about the matter, specifically within politics. The video makes it look as if the reason more men are in politics than women is because of discrimination. If you are a woman in America and you're reading this, think about this. Do you have a desire to go into politics? If you do, then I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors. If not, why do you think that is? The reason you don't see many women in politics is probably the same reason you don't see very many in math and science professions; they're simply not interested in the topic. The other part of this is that nowadays they have the option if they are interested. There's nothing stopping them but themselves from being anything, really.
Following up with my last point, there's also been an argument made that females in the workplace can't make their way up the metaphorical ladder due to gender. While this claim has more weight to it than the related one above, it still has little validity. For instance, if there was so much discrimination within such professional areas, how do you explain this? A lot of people don't know this, but there are more and more females rising through the ranks to the top spot of CEO in companies. But this doesn't just apply to the business world. Take the music industry. Rock is usually considered to be dominated by men and male frontmen. I hereby present to you the exception and proof that this is becoming less true. The female-fronted band Halestorm has reached fame, dominating the charts themselves over a number of male groups, including a number one song on iTunes and a top spot on Billboard's hard rock album list. Look at details of their success from Interactive Guitar magazine here.
WC: 457
The first part of this is gender discrimination of females in the workforce. In the documentary, they state several little factoids about the matter, specifically within politics. The video makes it look as if the reason more men are in politics than women is because of discrimination. If you are a woman in America and you're reading this, think about this. Do you have a desire to go into politics? If you do, then I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors. If not, why do you think that is? The reason you don't see many women in politics is probably the same reason you don't see very many in math and science professions; they're simply not interested in the topic. The other part of this is that nowadays they have the option if they are interested. There's nothing stopping them but themselves from being anything, really.
Following up with my last point, there's also been an argument made that females in the workplace can't make their way up the metaphorical ladder due to gender. While this claim has more weight to it than the related one above, it still has little validity. For instance, if there was so much discrimination within such professional areas, how do you explain this? A lot of people don't know this, but there are more and more females rising through the ranks to the top spot of CEO in companies. But this doesn't just apply to the business world. Take the music industry. Rock is usually considered to be dominated by men and male frontmen. I hereby present to you the exception and proof that this is becoming less true. The female-fronted band Halestorm has reached fame, dominating the charts themselves over a number of male groups, including a number one song on iTunes and a top spot on Billboard's hard rock album list. Look at details of their success from Interactive Guitar magazine here.
WC: 457
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Writing Snowball Effect
One thing that a lot of people don't know about me is that I love writing stories, fiction to be exact. It's said that, if you look hard enough, a thousand story ideas are laid out in front of you every day, you just have to look for them. While I may not know the identity of said person, I've found his insight incredibly accurate. I can't tell you how many ideas I've come up with just from everyday happenings, not to mention all the various locations I've visited. For instance, something as simple as watching a ski show down at Ellis Park triggered the following idea: what if one of the people in the show was kidnapped on the water? What if it was the main character's job to save them? What if he had to look into his family history to discover the whereabouts of the kidnappers and what they want with him? And what would happen if it spanned across the country from the Midwest to New Orleans to the capitol city ending in a showdown of epic proportions?
In order to put this idea into actual words, as with anything else, I had to start somewhere. So I developed a sort of pre-writing ritual to get into a writing mood. I suggest you to find one if you find trying to sit down and write a challenge. Here are some suggestions that I use in my ritual.
1. Pick a time to start writing. My favorite, yet tragically scarcely used, times are late night and, to quote the great Sinatra, "the wee small hours of the morning."
2. Find your favorite spot in the house, or even in the neighborhood. The optimum spot for me is the desk under my loft bed.
3. Make yourself a hot (or cold) beverage. Coffee is the idealistic drink by my count, but if you're not a coffee drinker hot chocolate will suffice.
4. Choose some good music to listen to while you gather your thoughts. Personally I prefer the musical stylings of Billy Joel, Owl City, Frank Sinatra and Jack's Mannequin.
I hope these help you in your writing endeavors as they have with myself.
WC:366
In order to put this idea into actual words, as with anything else, I had to start somewhere. So I developed a sort of pre-writing ritual to get into a writing mood. I suggest you to find one if you find trying to sit down and write a challenge. Here are some suggestions that I use in my ritual.
1. Pick a time to start writing. My favorite, yet tragically scarcely used, times are late night and, to quote the great Sinatra, "the wee small hours of the morning."
2. Find your favorite spot in the house, or even in the neighborhood. The optimum spot for me is the desk under my loft bed.
3. Make yourself a hot (or cold) beverage. Coffee is the idealistic drink by my count, but if you're not a coffee drinker hot chocolate will suffice.
4. Choose some good music to listen to while you gather your thoughts. Personally I prefer the musical stylings of Billy Joel, Owl City, Frank Sinatra and Jack's Mannequin.
I hope these help you in your writing endeavors as they have with myself.
WC:366
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Hopes and Predictions
The regular season is long gone, wild card weekend passed, and the divisionals have come to a close, weeding out the elite of each conference. The championships begin next week with the San Francisco 49ers playing the first-time playoff winners, the Atlanta Falcons followed by a game reminiscent of the previous year between the New England Patriots and the unforeseen Baltimore Ravens, the winners advancing to face off in the Superbowl. Who would I like to see in the Superbowl? Falcons and Patriots without a doubt. I haven't had the pleasure of watching Matt Ryan and co. until today and I was fairly impressed, throwing accurate passes to a number of receivers. Also, if their rush game can do what they did today, they just might pull it off. I also chose the Patriots because he's had tons of experience and can connect with his receivers with as much, if not more, proficiency as Ryan. They're defense has only been getting better, as has their rush game, giving them a more versatile style of play. Not to mention they have a few Superbowl visits including three wins out of five visits. Sadly, the actuality of it will probably be 49ers rather than the Falcons. They have a better run game, demonstrated by quarterback Colin Kaepernick's record-breaking rushing yards, and have even more options with him than they had with Alex Smith.
This Class is Actually Relevant!
One thing that I hear a lot of kids complain about classes is the classic, "When am I ever going to use this?" Just over the past week or two, I've actually found myself applying quite a few thing from classes to things in the real world. These connections have been made not just in applying AP Lang, but various other classes including AP Psych, Japanese, and Sociology.
For instance, over the summer I went to the ELCA gathering in New Orleans where Lutheran churches from all over the nation come together under the Superdome to worship God and do service for the community. One of the days we were there, we had to share a bus with members from other churches, including one from a small town in Georgia, and were forced to sit next to someone we had never met before. As it turned out, the girl I had worked with was the daughter of a woman from Japan. As a result, she also spoke Japanese and we were actually able discuss difficulties in the language and even have a short conversation in the foreign language. It was a good application and test of what I had learned in the past few years of study.
The previous example is also a good starting point for a good application of sociological principles as well. Research has shown that even a complete stranger can be connected to you by an average of six people. The study went like this: one person was given the name of a random stranger and was only allowed to send it to one person asking if they knew that person. If they didn't, they would do the same, so on and so forth until the e-mail got around to the person. The point of the experiment was to show just how interconnected everyone is and it is most likely a result of events such as the aforementioned gathering.
On a slightly different note, some things can even be applied to something as simple as television show. Many youths and adults alike are watching the hit show Big Bang Theory, which is actually pretty informative as far as information goes. Just last week, we were learning about logical fallacies in AP Lang and watched a few clips of the show demonstrating them, specifically post hoc and reductio ad absurdum. However, as with most informative shows, it does have its errors. In one episode, Sheldon attempts to condition Penny by giving her chocolates for what he perceives to be good behavior. While the original premise, is sound, he slips up on one aspect of it. At one point, he says that using positive and negative reinforcement techniques, he could reduce a certain behavior pattern of Penny's. The problem is reinforcement is used to increase a behavior, the opposite of what Sheldon would be attempting. What he would want to use is positive or negative punishment if he wished to obtain the desired result of decreased behavior.
For instance, over the summer I went to the ELCA gathering in New Orleans where Lutheran churches from all over the nation come together under the Superdome to worship God and do service for the community. One of the days we were there, we had to share a bus with members from other churches, including one from a small town in Georgia, and were forced to sit next to someone we had never met before. As it turned out, the girl I had worked with was the daughter of a woman from Japan. As a result, she also spoke Japanese and we were actually able discuss difficulties in the language and even have a short conversation in the foreign language. It was a good application and test of what I had learned in the past few years of study.
The previous example is also a good starting point for a good application of sociological principles as well. Research has shown that even a complete stranger can be connected to you by an average of six people. The study went like this: one person was given the name of a random stranger and was only allowed to send it to one person asking if they knew that person. If they didn't, they would do the same, so on and so forth until the e-mail got around to the person. The point of the experiment was to show just how interconnected everyone is and it is most likely a result of events such as the aforementioned gathering.
On a slightly different note, some things can even be applied to something as simple as television show. Many youths and adults alike are watching the hit show Big Bang Theory, which is actually pretty informative as far as information goes. Just last week, we were learning about logical fallacies in AP Lang and watched a few clips of the show demonstrating them, specifically post hoc and reductio ad absurdum. However, as with most informative shows, it does have its errors. In one episode, Sheldon attempts to condition Penny by giving her chocolates for what he perceives to be good behavior. While the original premise, is sound, he slips up on one aspect of it. At one point, he says that using positive and negative reinforcement techniques, he could reduce a certain behavior pattern of Penny's. The problem is reinforcement is used to increase a behavior, the opposite of what Sheldon would be attempting. What he would want to use is positive or negative punishment if he wished to obtain the desired result of decreased behavior.
Damn Jester!
WARNING:SPOILERS
The Dark Brotherhood is a shadowy organization of secret assassins, said to be disbanded from a group based in Morrowind known as the Morag Tong. Although the missions they conduct aren't as "legal" as their older cousins, they can carry out a contract just as discreetly and have just as much power and influence. Instead of receiving writs of assassination like the Morag Tong, agents of the Dark Brotherhood are summoned by performing the Black Sacrament, a ritual in which an effigy of the victim is created using human bones, flesh and organs rubbed with the nightshade flower and stabbing it repeatedly while reciting the following: "Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear." This plea then goes through their prime entity, the Night Mother, who passes the message on to the Listener, who in turn continues the chain to the collective. Their leader is a female Nord by the name of Astrid, a Redguard named Nazir being the second in command. Their headquarters is located in their Falkreath Sanctuary, later moving to Dawnstar.
While in the snowy city of Windhelm, you may overhear guards or other passersby mention a young boy holed up in his house, performing something called the Black Sacrament. Having piqued your interest, you decide to do a little B&E into the residence of Aventus Arentino. Upstairs, you will find him with all the fixings for the ritual and will assign you the contract, yourself posing as the assassin summoned. He will tell you about his escape from Honorhall Orphanage in Riften and insists that the old crone running it, Grelod the Kind, is anything but. Travel to Windhelm, kill the witch, and return for your reward. Rent a room in Candlehearth Hall and rest. But do not do so lightly, for you will surely be in for a surprise when you wake.
Upon awakening, you will find yourself in a small shack you will later discover is outside the city of Morthal. A female, revealing herself to be Astrid, is laying on top of a bookcase telling you the contract you accepted was originally meant for her organization. In order to repay her for your actions, she will direct you towards the back of the room where there are three people kneeling with hoods over their heads and instruct you to kill one of them (note: you may instead choose to kill Astrid, opting to destroy rather than join the Dark Brotherhood). She will then give you the key to leave the shack and invite you to their sanctuary near Falkreath. It is there that you will be officially inducted into the shadows and given your first set of assassination contracts. Complete them and report back for your next assignment.
You may notice something amiss in the main sanctuary area; specifically a man dressed as a jester (the Keeper, Cicero) with a large box containing the Night Mother. Astrid welcomes him in with reluctance and gives you your first real assignment as an agent of Sithis. You are to travel to Markarth and speak with a woman named Muiri about an ex-lover she wants taken care of, a bandit leader hiding in the Dwarven ruin of Raldbthar named Alain Dufont. Kill him, suggestedly using the crossbow traps on the ledge above him, and collect your reward from Muiri and Astrid.
Astrid will tell you that she senses something wrong with Cicero, who's been locking himself in his room at night and talking to himself. Hide in the Night Mother's coffin and listen to what Cicero says, apparently having been talking to the Night Mother all the time before. But something happens that's not anticipated: the Night Mother will start to glow and speak to you, informing you that you are the next Listener and to pass on a call made by Amaund Motierre in the ruin of Volunruud. Cicero soon discovers you and calls you a traitor, until he learns of the Night Mother's declaration of the Listener, information that causes him to dance jauntily in place. Inform Astrid of the Mother's given contract, who will tell you to receive new contracts from Nazir while she thinks it over.
When you return for your rewards from the preceding contracts, Astrid will approach with her decision. Follow the Night Mother's orders and go to Volunruud, where you will receive a very intriguing contract; no doubt a milestone in their history and just what they'd need to gain much needed influence and fear: assassinate the Emperor of Tamriel. He will hand you a jeweled amulet to cover expenses and a letter to Astrid. Return to the sanctuary and give Astrid the letter. She will read it and tell you to get the amulet appraised by an old friend in the Thieve's Guild, a fellow by the name of Delvin Mallory. Find him in the Ragged Flagon and give him the amulet. He will identify it as belonging to a member of the Elder Council and will comment on your "friends in all sorts of places." He'll give you letter of credit in exchange for the amulet, as per his and Astrid's "standard arrangement." After receiving the letter of credit, you will be given your first task in the assassination of the Emperor: kill a cousin of the Emperor on her wedding day.
Before taking on this special occasion, it is recommended to talk to other members as they give rather good strategies for eliminating the target. If you seek the seemingly young alchemy master Babette, she will suggest dropping the statue hanging above where she will be standing on the balcony. If you consult with Gabriella beforehand, she will tell of a bow, a few arrows and an archery potion on a parapet with a clear shot for a long-range kill. Whichever method you choose, kill her and get the hell outta dodge with Veezara covering your escape. Your next task in the intricate weaving of the plot to kill the Emperor is espionage work. Kill the commander of the guard's son Gaius Maro and plant a false letter on the body, placing him in a plot against the Emperor. While everything seems to be going according to plan on the assassination attempt, something's gone wrong among the group.
Cicero has apparently made an attempt on the lives of many members, including herself and the now grievously injured Veezara. Check his room for clues to where he went, the final journal revealing he has hidden away in the sanctuary outside of Dawnstar. Take up Astrid's horse Shadowmere and ride off to the sanctuary. Outside, you will find an injured Arnbjorn saying they injured each other and to "follow the blood."
Fight your way through the ghosts of former members and past a unique troll, the Undefrykte, towards Cicero. You will find him in the final room in a fetal position, begging you not to kill him. If you choose to, he reveals he is indeed uninjured and will fight back. Having dealt with the jester, continue with the contract.
The next step to this mission is to kill and impersonate the Gourmet, the highest up on the Emperor's kitchen staff, and poison the Emperor's food with the highly lethal jarrin root. Obtain the identity of the Gourmet, kill him, hide the body, and take up his role. Present the note looted from his body to Commander Maro to gain entrance to Castle Dour in Solitude. Assist the other chef in conjuring the concoction of death and watch as the two of you bring the Emeperor his last meal. Sneak out of the room as he tastes it and cross the bridge where a surprise in the form of information is awaiting you. Commander Maro appears with a tale of betrayal. on both parties. As it turns out, someone inside the organization had informed them of their plan. So they used a decoy and let them carry on with the operation in exchange for your life. The other betrayal? Maro intends to wipe out their organization as revenge for killing his son.
Arrive at the sanctuary to find several of the Emperor's guards outside and Festus pinned to a tree by the entrance by dozens of arrows. Enter the sanctuary and move past the bodies of Veezara and Gabriella, past a werewolf Arnbjorn fighting a losing fight, all the way to Nazir fighting a Penitus Oculatus Agent named Arcturus. Assist him in killing the agent and talk to him. Find an escape route, during which the Night Mother will tell you to hide in her coffin for protection. Several explosions and rumbles later, Nazir will open the coffin with Babette standing next to him, telling you Astrid is still alive and wishes to see you. She can be found in an alcove inside of her old room. She is found laying on the floor, body completely burnt with a circle of candles around her, having performed the Black Sacrament on herself. She reveals that she is the traitor for she didn't yet believe in the Night Mother and was jealous of your being named Listener. Take up her blade and deliver her will of the mercy killing. The organization still requiring it, you must continue the original job and finish what was started.
Travel to Whiterun and meet with Motierre on his ground floor room in the The Bannered Mare. According to Amaund, the Emperor is aboard is ship, The Katariah, docked in the Solitude inlet. He will also inform you that Commander Maro is on-board if you would like to exact revenge. Sneak aboard the ship, kill Maro if you wish, and tiptoe your way past several PO agentsto the Emperor's quarters. The Emperor will greet you immediately after entering, having been expecting you knowing it is his destiny to die by your hand. However, he will request one last thing before you kill him; he wishes that you kill the one who orchestrated this attempt as he may be doing it for personal gains. Kill the Emperor and meet back in Amaund's room. His reward is revealed to be in a dead drop in the room where you first met him. If you so desire, you may fulfill the Emperor's last wish and kill him. Regardless, collect your reward of 20,000 septims and return to Nazir, now based in the Dawnstar Sanctuary. The Dark Brotherhood has now gained influence and fear over many once more, thanks to you.
The Dark Brotherhood is a shadowy organization of secret assassins, said to be disbanded from a group based in Morrowind known as the Morag Tong. Although the missions they conduct aren't as "legal" as their older cousins, they can carry out a contract just as discreetly and have just as much power and influence. Instead of receiving writs of assassination like the Morag Tong, agents of the Dark Brotherhood are summoned by performing the Black Sacrament, a ritual in which an effigy of the victim is created using human bones, flesh and organs rubbed with the nightshade flower and stabbing it repeatedly while reciting the following: "Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear." This plea then goes through their prime entity, the Night Mother, who passes the message on to the Listener, who in turn continues the chain to the collective. Their leader is a female Nord by the name of Astrid, a Redguard named Nazir being the second in command. Their headquarters is located in their Falkreath Sanctuary, later moving to Dawnstar.
While in the snowy city of Windhelm, you may overhear guards or other passersby mention a young boy holed up in his house, performing something called the Black Sacrament. Having piqued your interest, you decide to do a little B&E into the residence of Aventus Arentino. Upstairs, you will find him with all the fixings for the ritual and will assign you the contract, yourself posing as the assassin summoned. He will tell you about his escape from Honorhall Orphanage in Riften and insists that the old crone running it, Grelod the Kind, is anything but. Travel to Windhelm, kill the witch, and return for your reward. Rent a room in Candlehearth Hall and rest. But do not do so lightly, for you will surely be in for a surprise when you wake.
Upon awakening, you will find yourself in a small shack you will later discover is outside the city of Morthal. A female, revealing herself to be Astrid, is laying on top of a bookcase telling you the contract you accepted was originally meant for her organization. In order to repay her for your actions, she will direct you towards the back of the room where there are three people kneeling with hoods over their heads and instruct you to kill one of them (note: you may instead choose to kill Astrid, opting to destroy rather than join the Dark Brotherhood). She will then give you the key to leave the shack and invite you to their sanctuary near Falkreath. It is there that you will be officially inducted into the shadows and given your first set of assassination contracts. Complete them and report back for your next assignment.
You may notice something amiss in the main sanctuary area; specifically a man dressed as a jester (the Keeper, Cicero) with a large box containing the Night Mother. Astrid welcomes him in with reluctance and gives you your first real assignment as an agent of Sithis. You are to travel to Markarth and speak with a woman named Muiri about an ex-lover she wants taken care of, a bandit leader hiding in the Dwarven ruin of Raldbthar named Alain Dufont. Kill him, suggestedly using the crossbow traps on the ledge above him, and collect your reward from Muiri and Astrid.
Astrid will tell you that she senses something wrong with Cicero, who's been locking himself in his room at night and talking to himself. Hide in the Night Mother's coffin and listen to what Cicero says, apparently having been talking to the Night Mother all the time before. But something happens that's not anticipated: the Night Mother will start to glow and speak to you, informing you that you are the next Listener and to pass on a call made by Amaund Motierre in the ruin of Volunruud. Cicero soon discovers you and calls you a traitor, until he learns of the Night Mother's declaration of the Listener, information that causes him to dance jauntily in place. Inform Astrid of the Mother's given contract, who will tell you to receive new contracts from Nazir while she thinks it over.
When you return for your rewards from the preceding contracts, Astrid will approach with her decision. Follow the Night Mother's orders and go to Volunruud, where you will receive a very intriguing contract; no doubt a milestone in their history and just what they'd need to gain much needed influence and fear: assassinate the Emperor of Tamriel. He will hand you a jeweled amulet to cover expenses and a letter to Astrid. Return to the sanctuary and give Astrid the letter. She will read it and tell you to get the amulet appraised by an old friend in the Thieve's Guild, a fellow by the name of Delvin Mallory. Find him in the Ragged Flagon and give him the amulet. He will identify it as belonging to a member of the Elder Council and will comment on your "friends in all sorts of places." He'll give you letter of credit in exchange for the amulet, as per his and Astrid's "standard arrangement." After receiving the letter of credit, you will be given your first task in the assassination of the Emperor: kill a cousin of the Emperor on her wedding day.
Before taking on this special occasion, it is recommended to talk to other members as they give rather good strategies for eliminating the target. If you seek the seemingly young alchemy master Babette, she will suggest dropping the statue hanging above where she will be standing on the balcony. If you consult with Gabriella beforehand, she will tell of a bow, a few arrows and an archery potion on a parapet with a clear shot for a long-range kill. Whichever method you choose, kill her and get the hell outta dodge with Veezara covering your escape. Your next task in the intricate weaving of the plot to kill the Emperor is espionage work. Kill the commander of the guard's son Gaius Maro and plant a false letter on the body, placing him in a plot against the Emperor. While everything seems to be going according to plan on the assassination attempt, something's gone wrong among the group.
Cicero has apparently made an attempt on the lives of many members, including herself and the now grievously injured Veezara. Check his room for clues to where he went, the final journal revealing he has hidden away in the sanctuary outside of Dawnstar. Take up Astrid's horse Shadowmere and ride off to the sanctuary. Outside, you will find an injured Arnbjorn saying they injured each other and to "follow the blood."
Fight your way through the ghosts of former members and past a unique troll, the Undefrykte, towards Cicero. You will find him in the final room in a fetal position, begging you not to kill him. If you choose to, he reveals he is indeed uninjured and will fight back. Having dealt with the jester, continue with the contract.
The next step to this mission is to kill and impersonate the Gourmet, the highest up on the Emperor's kitchen staff, and poison the Emperor's food with the highly lethal jarrin root. Obtain the identity of the Gourmet, kill him, hide the body, and take up his role. Present the note looted from his body to Commander Maro to gain entrance to Castle Dour in Solitude. Assist the other chef in conjuring the concoction of death and watch as the two of you bring the Emeperor his last meal. Sneak out of the room as he tastes it and cross the bridge where a surprise in the form of information is awaiting you. Commander Maro appears with a tale of betrayal. on both parties. As it turns out, someone inside the organization had informed them of their plan. So they used a decoy and let them carry on with the operation in exchange for your life. The other betrayal? Maro intends to wipe out their organization as revenge for killing his son.
Arrive at the sanctuary to find several of the Emperor's guards outside and Festus pinned to a tree by the entrance by dozens of arrows. Enter the sanctuary and move past the bodies of Veezara and Gabriella, past a werewolf Arnbjorn fighting a losing fight, all the way to Nazir fighting a Penitus Oculatus Agent named Arcturus. Assist him in killing the agent and talk to him. Find an escape route, during which the Night Mother will tell you to hide in her coffin for protection. Several explosions and rumbles later, Nazir will open the coffin with Babette standing next to him, telling you Astrid is still alive and wishes to see you. She can be found in an alcove inside of her old room. She is found laying on the floor, body completely burnt with a circle of candles around her, having performed the Black Sacrament on herself. She reveals that she is the traitor for she didn't yet believe in the Night Mother and was jealous of your being named Listener. Take up her blade and deliver her will of the mercy killing. The organization still requiring it, you must continue the original job and finish what was started.
Travel to Whiterun and meet with Motierre on his ground floor room in the The Bannered Mare. According to Amaund, the Emperor is aboard is ship, The Katariah, docked in the Solitude inlet. He will also inform you that Commander Maro is on-board if you would like to exact revenge. Sneak aboard the ship, kill Maro if you wish, and tiptoe your way past several PO agentsto the Emperor's quarters. The Emperor will greet you immediately after entering, having been expecting you knowing it is his destiny to die by your hand. However, he will request one last thing before you kill him; he wishes that you kill the one who orchestrated this attempt as he may be doing it for personal gains. Kill the Emperor and meet back in Amaund's room. His reward is revealed to be in a dead drop in the room where you first met him. If you so desire, you may fulfill the Emperor's last wish and kill him. Regardless, collect your reward of 20,000 septims and return to Nazir, now based in the Dawnstar Sanctuary. The Dark Brotherhood has now gained influence and fear over many once more, thanks to you.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Total Domination
Lately, I've been expanding my horizons on some of the games I play, incorporating more genres into my repertoires. The latest game I've stumbled upon is one that I started playing at a friend's house. It's called Cilization V and has a very interesting dynamic to it. The basis of the game is founded upon choosing a civilization from time, ranging from the Iriqois to Napoleon to Caesar, and competing with other civilizations to claim territory, resources, and advance technologically and culturally. You may also form alliances or declare war upon other nations as well as other lesser powers randomly generated known as city-states. You can trade gold, resources, technology or even whole cities to gain influence and status with other nations. Because of these aspects, there are four ways you can win; domination (destroying everything), scientific (research Apollo Program and build Spaceship), diplomatic (research Globalization technologies) and cultural (unlock and build Utopia Project).
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