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Grim Tales - Sacrificial Heart - Champion of Fenrir Book IV - Chapter 21
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Grim Tales - Sacrificial Heart - Champion of Fenrir Book IV - Chapter 21
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28 comments
Great work my friend! Nice to see Kavel and Grim together! And it seem Kavel is at last "Warming up" to Grim. At least they both could laugh about Hircine sometimes being a pain!
So is Wolfgar developing new power? It seems so!
Wolfgar is more just using skills he hasn't had to in the past
Miraak won't be in this story line but I did the quests with Grim in the game and really enjoyed them, as well as the whole DLC.
Good to see Wolfgar doing what he does best, scouting ahead as ever, was heartwarming how Grim presence is like a warm glow that chases away his fears. I really liked how you described the smells that reached his nose, the scent of pine, of the crisp air and the snowing holding traces of the smells of passing animals, you know I like those details. Was great how Wolfgar made clear how urgent it was for Grim to catch up to him, that foe chasing a wolf. That one were-bear made a big mistake in trying to harm Wolfgar, meeting the full fury of Grim as he leaped at him with claws bared, they certainly defend each other fiercely.
That first meeting of Grim and Kavel was a tense one, though the distrust of Kavel is understandable with what he went through, how his family had been betrayed and how he has depended mostly on himself. It is good that Kavel listened to what Grim had to say and that Hircine had told Grim what to say, things could have been more of a mess otherwise. I wonder who told those wild were-bears those lies about Kavel and curing themselves, nearly costing innocents their lives, though I think I may have an idea of who it is.
Shows Grim's big hear that he made very sure that the girl would be return to Raven Rock safely. Kavel sure got a surprise when Grim was able to use that scroll with Hircine having not mentioned certain important details about Grim. Made me chuckle how Grim and Kavel both agreed that Hircine could really be a pain. I wonder as Grim does about what exactly Wolfgar did to that one of the Skaal and why he is bigger than usual. It will be interesting to see how the Skaal will react to Grim and his group and what they will learn from Frea. An excellent chapter, Jonathan
Also good point on the mages - Xavier is borrowing on Mora while Neloth is completely self-made and has avoided the trap of bargaining with a Prince. Although Xavier is just evil in general so he is actually happy with the deal he has with Mora (or at least believes he is - he is very much Mora's puppet at this point and hard to say where his thoughts end and Mora's begins since Mora uses him so often).
Wolfgar has had some starring roles in stories in the past but usually seen as more of a secondary character. In this story line Grim will discover it is Wolfgar who is somewhat in charge or at least the important one. Just a small glimpse at what is in store for the next chapter. Anyhow Wolfgar being very much on the animal side I try harder to resort to descriptive details when he is involved.
As for the werebears and the creepy elf - if you are thinking that is Xavier you are correct (that isn't really a spoiler since I alluded to it anyhow). Xavier and Mora have plans ... some of which should be discussed in the next chapter depending on how long it gets.
I am very much looking forward to writing a the next chapter as I have so many things I want to cover and explain. Going to start on it tomorrow night. Thanks again for checking out the story!
I'm imagining a walnut sized Mora eye wandering around looking for information, what a neat idea. I'm sure the paranoia levels on Neloth are off the charts but Xavier had it made until that spriggan hissed at him, causing him to miss one thread and now Neloth will surely know something is amiss. Wonder if they will figure out what.
Then it was Wolfar to the rescue as the sacrifice was about to begin. Cool description of Kavel being the green flame with scent of Hirsine while the other were's were black and red fighting each other for control. Then came the meeting of Grim and Kavel, considering the situation it may have been a good thing that Kavel was injured in bear form and didn't have enough left to consider fighting Grim. Very interesting description of Kavel being confused by the scent of Grim, as he knew he was blessed by Hirsine but it was different.
It was funny when Kavel finally learns who Grim really is after the Daedric act to free the man of his beast blood. His reaction to be angry with Hirsine was great and it seemed to lighten the mood between them finally.
Interesting how the Skaal thought of Wolfgar as the wolf spirit, and the thought of the blasphemous words that demon Hirsine and Fenrir are related. Maybe Grim has a way in with the Skaal now but I doubt it will be that easy. Again, this was a great chapter that I may need to read again to see if I got everything
I had a lot of fun with Xavier in this chapter. Xavier has been around almost as long as Neloth, possibly longer since Mora gives him a new body when his old one dies - payment for letting Mora possess him on Nirn when needed which is always a very painful and terrifying experience. So I see them on par with each other. Xavier has the edge since he has access to some of Mora's powers yet Neloth is a genius and so I see the whole break-in attempt very stressful on many levels, including pride, for Xavier.
In writing the Spriggan part (who are always making sounds when I am there) I realized that the amount of concentration and layers of spells Xavier had to deal with was immense. Like going into someones home and removing every single item from their living room ... then having to put it all back EXACTLY the same and hope nothing was misplaced. Would have been far easier to just dismantle the wards. He won't be pleased to know he broke a thread!
Interesting note on Kavel being injured - as it was a little bit of the opposite in my mind. While a healthy Kavel could have meant an actual fight it also would mean he was more confident. He is like a dog on a leash being wounded - hence far more defensive because he feels he is in a weaker position. A wounded animal can be quite viscous if they feel threatened. But it is hard to see Erik as a threat. Oh he is a very good fighter but in a wolf pack he is clearly not an alpha, nor does he wish to be. He is not an omega though - more in the middle.
Glad you picked up on the scent thing as it is very true. In-game lore werewolves can smell each other - which is shown when you go to Frostmoon Crag. So all of that is based on actual TES lore. Yet I suspect Grim being more Fenrir would have a very odd scent to Kavel and others.
Kavel has some issues with Hircine but since I have not written his stories to that point hard to know what they are. In general he has a bit of a love/hate thing with Hircine at the moment. Part of this is Hircine keeping secrets about his parents and also a feeling that Hircine is using him against Mora ...even though Kavel himself wants revenge. But it makes him feel like a pawn. On the other hand Hircine has been very good to him over the last 21 years since he was born and recently ... well it has gotten complicated. but clearly its mutual as Hircine agreed to protect Rumper, Kavel's bear companion.
Also I think you are correct - Wolfgar may be the key that opens the door to the Skaal. Of course once that door is open it doesn't solve everything ... but I can't really say more at this point. Its only a chapter away anyhow
Juggling personalities is the hardest. I stick to "cliche" ones to make it easier. Kavel is the rebel hothead, Erik the friendly country boy (albeit well educated), Grim is the noble and fair Alpha/Hero type, etc.
Also glad you liked those very frustrating images
Uh oh...Xavier is up to no good..sneaking into Neloth's place at Mora's command and also to steal something precious ( Okay okay..he won't be the only one sneaking into Neloth's place to steal something lol....). Not surprise that the crazy Dunmer is overly paranoid but sadly was no match for Mora and Xavier...get the feeling he'll be walking to a bad surprise when he gets back.
Quite an intense moment, the rescue and the meeting with moody Kavel ! Wolfie coming out of nowhere to the rescue ! Felt my heart skip a bit when Wolfie got hurt ! But Grim came to the rescue to save his brother phew ! Nobody hurts Wolfie and live !! I'm absolutely jealous of the girl that got to scratch Wolfgar tummy now ! Hm seem that Grim and Kavel had a bit of a struggle as to who was the " alpha" between the two of them. Well thankfully Erik is there to keep the peace !! Oh we all know Grim is a Daedric witch in disguise ! ..sorry couldn't help but to chuckle a bit at that one...and how Kavel though Grim had not been listening to a word he just said.
Yeah grandpa can be such a pain in the butt.....just don't let him catch you say that.
Seems like the Skaal believe that Fenrir have no affiliation to Hircine, not being his son or anything..probably thinking that Fenrir is only affiliated to Lokhran I take it? At least that's the feeling I have....Hm perhaps we will hear more of this when Grim and his group meet with Frea.
Wonderfully done !
Neloth is pretty canny so I suspect he will figure out what happened when he gets back, at least he will know he was invaded and hopefully he will figure out how. While he has many valuable things a trace spell will probably help him narrow it down. I think Neloth, who is about 750 years old, would be about equal with Xavier minus Mora's influence on him. But against Mora he might as well be a novice mage.
The part with Kavel and Grim was much easier to write than I thought. I spent so much time on Kavel - not just his epic backstory with Kol and Bron but also all the lore and history I made on him - that his personality was pretty solid in my mind. The key here is that Grim is a true Alpha, a natural born leader. Strong, firm, but rewards those who do well and is also fair. Kavel is not actually an alpha. He is an omega who thinks he is an alpha. He is a lone wolf rebel who secretly craves a strong firm hand. Unlike Erik, who knows and accepts that he hates the responsibility and stress of being a leader, Kavel thinks he needs to be all tough and strong. The easier way to describe him is a pack of wolves/dogs. He is that dog whose owner (Do'Tesh) spoiled and did not give much attention to. Do'Tesh loves Kavel but he wasn't the parent type. He did not give Kavel a firm hand or much direction. Kavel is also hot-headed and a loner. Getting side tracked here - just explaining some of his personality and how it is different from Grim and Erik. I can say that the one "person" who he does respect is Hircine (but he also resents Hircine for his secrets and games with his life) and he has a strong desire/need for Hircine. As for Hircine ... even in my world and lore I don't see Hircine loving any mortal. Only Kyne has his true love, the love of two bonded wolves except it is bitter sweet as he can't have her. Still he has a form of love for his children (were beasts) and his followers. They are his hounds. He loves those mortals like we love our own dogs or pets. It is NOT master and slave nor even parent and child ... it is more like a guardianship. We are responsible for our dogs and they look to use for guidance, protection, and help. Yet we also look to our dogs for protection (guard dogs), company, and affection. Anyhow Hircine sees Grim as a favorite hound, his pride and joy - to which Grim would probably be appalled at as he sees Hircine as a stern but loving grandfather. But Hircine is so far above mortals, even Grim, in power he can't really see them any other way. He isn't like Sanguine. He is the master of the hunt. But I can say he sees Kavel as his very special hound and there is a bit more to their relationship then he has with Grim or Erik.
Eh sidetracked yet again. Meant to say, yes Hircine can be a PITA
You are dead on about the Skaal and Fenrir and I was so happy to read this. The thing is lore doesn't explain the issues with the Skaal and standard TES mythology. They tend to have a monotheistic religion. One god - the All-maker. The rest are demons, spirits, powerful beings. You can say Anu = All-maker; Padomay = Adversary, and the Princes = Demons. But what are the 8 divine and the other aedra, just powerful spirits? What about Lorkhan? Lorkhan is, in some ways, both Aedra and Daedra. He comes from Sithis, who comes from Padomay ... and in TES he is both a good god (to humans), a trickster god to some others (like the Khajjit) and a demon to the elves. The Skaal are Nords ... do they see Lorkhan as the adversay (his ties to Sithis and Padomay)? Does he even exist for them?
I then have to tie in my own lore. Fenrir is easy - Fenrir IS a nature spirit. His sole purpose is to protect the natural world, the wolves, and Nirn itself. He is one with nature. He also represents the North. The Skaal venerate wolves and are also of the North. To me Fenrir is a greater spirit that serves the All-maker (who I see like Farvat does, as the Dreamer). So Grim is a real night mare for me now. He is part Fenrir and Part Hircine. Both hated enemy and beloved friend. Worse he is closer to Fenrir - direct son - yet has a lot of respect and even love for his grandfather Hircine - who he knows in a more positive light than the Skaal ... who also don't know how Hircine has changed. Perhaps Wolfgar can help - at least he is a wolf, versus a man-beast. Perhaps that is why he has been acting a bit weird in this chapter ...
Another interesting things is that Hircine now has only one foothold left on Solstheim - Frostmoon Crag. All his other shrines and temples are gone or defiled (the Altar of Thrond was not completely destroyed as they stopped the plans but it is also not the shrine it once was). Yet if Hircine is completely gone, something the Skaal think they want, it leaves the door wide open for Mora. Then somewhere in all of this is Lorkhan ... very complex
The beginning with Xavier was very interesting... clearly this necromancer fits perfectly to be Mora's agent, for they both share the hunger after knowledge, arrogance, complete disregard to others lives and well being. It was very curious to know how Mora finally found a way to spy after after paranoid Neloth... he really made first magical bug or tracking device! Dannee would be sad to know that even at Neloth's abode which she thought to be safest place both she and Neloth were shamelessly spied upon. at least Neloth placed very cool protection around and in his house... and being a bit careless Xavier did not leave things as they were so I guess Neloth will do major revising of all his things in attempts to discover what was stolen or ruined... Xavier newest plans also sound quite ominous, so I am very exited to see how this plays out.
And Grim also did not sit idly, encountering the effects of Xavier and Mora 'games' while facing those werebears and the people who nearly became innocent victims. It was great to finally see grown up Kavel too! I think Grim and Erik gave him pretty good characteristic and comparing to Grim, Kavel is way more cranky and aggressive.. in a way he even reminded me of Serana a bit. I loved the way of how Grim chose to prove his words about his heritage... by reading that scroll, it was very clever and very well thought! And the escaped victims all got second chance. Grim was very sweet in telling Ky to behave around girl, or he will fond him! That reminded me of moments Grim and Erik spend with Lucia who became like little sister to them. The Skaal man sure was amazed to be saved by those with beast blood, but this opens an o[opportunity for Grim to talk with tribe and have a hope that they will listen... Kavel also has a lot to do, like searching for answers about his past and hopefully finding Nelthas, the one who destroyed everything - from his parents to his tribe, which was also one of Mora's schemes.
Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful work and I would look forward for continuation!
I felt really bad for Dannee myself. Mora is always spying on her, invading her mind, and being very invasive. So the eye-spy Imp would be a nasty blow knowing one of her safe places had been invaded. I can assure you that once Neloth figures things out that eye will be dust! I am also sure he will come up with a way to prevent that from happening again and maybe he will share that with Lady Dannee as a thank you for her friendship and help in the past. Might be useful for her to have a way to help block Mora's spies.
I figured a Prince (who is pretty much a god in their own right) would be able to generate such a tool - and a Prince of knowledge would especially like a spy imp (versus say some of the more battle focused servants of other Princes). Since those black books act like portals I figure it could work both ways - to send something through to Nirn. I also remember, in-game, Neloth saying something like this (paraphrasing), "Here let me just make a copy of this book, only an idiot would actually carry one around with them. Oh well except for you of course, I am sure being a hero you know how to handle them." It also made me wonder, how do you safely make a copy of a book that can suck you into Oblivion? Why a clone of course!
A Xavier tripped up - not really his fault considering Neloths paranoia and traps though. Mora won't be happy they have some pre-warning now but it won't destroy his plans - which I can tell you bodes no good for most folks on Solstheim. He has big plans coming up, huge plans actually, and ... well don't want to spoil anything! But not to worry as the next chapter is going to solve some of that mystery, at least what his goals are if not how he hopes to achieve them.
Glad you enjoyed Grim and Kavel meeting. He can be cranky like Serana although it comes from different reasons. I wish I had had more time to write about Kavel growing up as it would explain a great deal. But maybe after this story I can return to some Kavel only stories - at least get him caught up to this point on Solstheim. I got some great plans with him and Celeste, Signar, and eventually Hircine with whom he has a deeply rooted need for - as I told Corfus, Kavel is a rebel who craves a firm hand. He is like a wild and disobedient dog who is unhappy and lost because what they want is some direction, leadership, and attention. In some ways Kavel sees Grim as a rival for Hircine's attention - mitigated a little because he knows Grim is totally bound to Erik and hence not really a rival in that sense. Anyhow Kavels search for Nelthas, his reaction to finding the remains of his tribe, and all of that will have to wait for his own stories - his appearance with Grim is pretty much only told from Grim's point of view.
You are probably rigth in that the saving Thrunn the Skaal will open the door at least to talk to the Skaal. Yet there is something else that most folks have missed - the key example being Wolfgar getting a blue aura and glowing eyes for a moment as he touched his nose to Thrunn to "show a lost puppy how to get home." Perhaps it will be less about Grim and the Skaal and more Wolfgar. Just perhaps lol. I got some rather unexpected things coming with the Skaal that no one has figured out yet.
Anyhow thanks again for the nice comment. I do hope folks enjoy my next chapter as I am writing it for me and my vision of the story - and I don't think it is how most readers are expecting it. Guess I will find out next weekend barring any issues!
I got drawn in by the story, that's a good thing,...
Very Well accompanying images for this story als Well,..
I'm curious what Will happen When they get into contact with the Skaal,..
We will find out more of that in the next chapter!