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Grim Tales - Betrayal - Mother Grim P5
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53 comments
I did want to clarify a couple of things. Because of this medium I can't always write as much as I want (yea I know they are long already lol ) and hence sometimes have to leave out details. In regards to Grim's past with Astrid - that is pretty much the game itself . The radiant AI sent three assassins against Grim all with the letter from the DB. Then there is Grelda the Kind which kicks off the content.
I also see main characters in Skyrim in the sense of high fantasy - meaning they are more than just the average mortal. They are like super-soldiers, the perfect genes and skills plus vague almost supernatural senses and abilities. Astrid has some ability to manipulate people via the dark forces she has sworn to (Sithis) and she is also very narcissistic and think everything, and everyone, should resolve around her. It is all bout HER. Secretly she is a bit insecure she was not chosen as listener
Hence she sees Grim as an insult to her very existence as he keeps avoiding her assassins and has, for the most part, ignored her. How she hates to be ignored! She is also smart and knows eventually there paths will cross and she would rather have the upper hand when that happens so she has taken an aggressive first offensive tactic.
Just wanted to explain this as I haven't mentioned the "random" assassin attempts that happened to Grim in his stories - they just happened while I was playing the game. I also did not write about the Grelda story for much the same reason ... if I write a story for every quest I will be playing Skyrim to the grave :p
Please ask questions though as I do have a pretty extensive plot line for this gang of mine
I enjoyed the passage or Wolfgar is thrown on the chicken leg when Grim told him he was going to become fat and lazy I had a good laugh, Wolfgar is a real glutton and it reminds me of my dogs and I well said "my dogs" because they are all like that!
Delvin ... What rot guy!
I hope Grim will give him a good lesson, Wolfgar in the hands of Astrid it has nothing reassuring.
I guess Grim must be in intense anger, but I hope that anger will not do act him too hastily or dangerously, I love the shot when Grim is angry, we can really see that he is furious.
Great work Wolf and no one have the right to harm Wolfgar!
Indeed Grim was and still is furious with the Dark Brotherhood and Delvin ... as I type this Grim has just entered the DB Sanctuary and blood is about to fly!
Love the story and all the fantastic images, especially the third to the last image, where Grim is yelling his rage; great work, keep it up!
For the most part I prefer to do simple screenshots with in-game tools (and some minor console and CK stuff if I feel it is really important) and use the writing to tell the tale.
Glad you enjoyed the story, much appreciate the comment!
Anyways keep up the good work
So instead I decided this is a sandbox game after all. So Grim is taking his own approach. He is turning the guild into more of an "Adventurers/Mercenary Guild" but with a touch of Thieves still there but more neutral and not evil. More details on this will be explained in a future story. Just know it will become a better place.
Vex is harsh but she grows on you a little. Sapphire is nice. Delvin is very sweet in a way but he has a dark side. So I wanted to explore that Dark side and perhaps he will turn evil or find redemption. I have many things planned
I read what Delvin did and had to remind we like him... I know his ties with the DB make him an easy target for that witch but even I was surprised he would sink so low as to hurt Wolfgar, yes change is not something he would handle well.. he has become comfortable with how the guild works but to see him sink so low has changed how I view him in many ways.
I understand how it was so easy for Grim, Erik and Bryn to be careless forgetting not every would be happy if they heard what Grim has planned and the mead did not help in making them forget where they were. To forget that the people around them earn their living by listening.
Reading about Wolfgar, broke my heart, to harm such a loving wonderful animal to get to Grim.....upset is not the word to describe how Ambrosia and I felt....
I felt so bad for Grim when he returned, the fear for the safety of his friend and brother ,it was easy to see it was tearing him apart, as normally Grim would never blame someone for a mistake in judgement as he had with Vex. I am sure it was hard for Erik to let him go alone and know that it was for the best, Grim can move faster alone and Astrid if anything is not know for her forgiving nature , she will kill Wolfgar is anyone was to come with Grim...
Now that back stabbing, evil, ugly, viper Astrid...first Rathe, now Grim and Wolfgar, someone had better kill this witch.... and soon... never liked her and she is a huge part of the reason Ambrosia has no part in them anymore.... but if she touches a hair of Wolfgars fur, hurts him any way.... well and Grim does not kill her....well... my girl will be paying a very up close and personal visit to her... So Grim dear... kill her..... please.... ( sorry that woman just gets on my girls last nerve )
Your shots were so great and everyone worked with the story so well telling a great tale, reread it 3 times as was scared I had missed something... Such amazing work Jon!!!!
Now who is this shadowy fiqure hunched over the pool of water by the moonlight... I wonder if he could be........ no will not say..... if had been a woman would have said it was Grim mother but no..... very interesting twist my friend, cant wait to read who it is and how this turns out
Grim should have known better to open his mouth like he did that night but even the most skilled of people make mistakes, it is what makes us human in many ways, and to his credit he thought Wolfgar was watching the tunnel and didn't know he had walked off to find some food scraps at the flagon - so his alarm system had been disabled lol.
Most people ignore Wolfgar in this regard, which is why he has been fairly safe as a lever. They assume he is just a pet - someone Grim loves but is only a simple animal. Wolves are killed all the time in Skyrim after all. It was Astrid who figured out how much deeper it was and therefore was the ultimate leverage over him.
Grim was a little harsh with Erik but it was fear speaking. He knows Erik would not be useless or risk hurting Wolfgar but Grim is very panicked and not thinking right. One can only hope that Erik can help in some other way. Of course having Erik along might help remind him of the light and not sink into darkness ...
As for Astrid, sadly she has Grim by the balls as it were. She threatens not just Wolfgars life but his very soul, a soul linked to Grim ... its destruction ... things just don't look good for them. Worse if anything happens to her, anything to prevent her return safely, will mean his death.
Hmm Grims mother ... interesting guess but no ... and ... well I will send you a PM since we have discussed this a bit before. Perhaps the interlude will give you some more clues on the figures identity.
Thanks again for your support. I can tell you I wish I could take two weeks off from work and do nothing but mod the CK, collect images, and write the next 3-4 chapters.
For that matter what I have planned for Grims Mother ... the plots are so twisted even Houdini could not escape them
And Astrid... I admit, Grim's disposal of three of her family members have slipped through my attention, for I don't remember in which chapter that happened and I think need to refresh my memory, but she sure has a long standing grudge against him... She created very devious plan of how to manipulate Grim, that is for sure, Wolfgar means to him so much more than just his hound, like Astrid called him in letter and to know that his fate now depends on him... However, back at Molag Bal's trial of Grim, you did write that if vampires of Molag have abducted Wolfgar and in exchange of his life Grim would have to accept Molag as his master, Grim would refuse, even if t means Wolfgar's death, though after that... Grim would be forever heartbroke if he won't kill himself. and now Astrid has created almost similar situation of which you had mentioned back then... I think serving her and killing people in the name of Sithis is not very different from serving Molag Bal...
And Wolfgar... when he did eat that rotten piece of meat, he just couldn't help himself, did he? My friend who had a dog said it is typical for them to eat such food, even if it turned slightly rotten, so I guess only Grim would have stopped him if he was near... Now Wolfgar is out of reach and knowing Astrid's sadistic nature I doubt that poor boy would feel comfortable once he will wake up. Grim's rage was scary and I hope that being enraged he won't loose his senses, for this is what Astrid is counting on. I think Grim should just destroy Dark Brotherhood once and for all when given a chance, and show everyone what will happen if somebody will mess with his closest persons... Hope he will outsmart Astrid ad i will look forward for continuation. Thank you very much for sharing your awesome work!
Aye Grim had been drinking a lot with his friends that night and got very careless, thinking no one was around. Plus Wolfgar was there at the time to help keep watch and they had gotten lazy counting on him. I will admit it wasn't the strongest part of the story and it would have been better to have had Delvin sneak around and maybe find a locked letter or maybe followed them to some secure place where they talked. But in this case I went with the easy path as all the characters were already in the Ratway which made it easier to set up the scene.
I explained about the assassins which are Astrids "family" (just like the thieves guild the DB sees its members as "family") in my sticky since a couple people asked me about this. Your memory is perfect - I hadn't mentioned them directly in my stories
Anyhow it was a mix of offended pride, stolen client, and the knowledge that eventually the DB and Grim would butt heads that she went on the offensive. Plus she truly feels she can turn him to the dark side and make him one of the DB's finest agents.
You are so ASTUTE and such a good MEMORY to remember that bit from Molag bal. Lol love it. Indeed Grim was able to avoid it back then but this time the fates are forcing him into a choice only worse in some ways as the DB has the ability to send souls to the void not just kill the flesh. On the other hand Woflgar is not just a mere wolf nor is Grim just a mortal ...
As for eating bad food ... lol I have seen dogs eat some things that make me cringe. So I felt this was the best way for Delvin to test his theory on Wolfgar.
Got a few more chapters to go and hope you enjoy them and how I decide to deal with this complicated situation! Thanks again for the wonderful feedback.
Whilst Delvin Mallory's actions should instigate anger, I fear that his accent in-game reminds me of fonder memories and hence remain conflicted on it but nonetheless; bad, bad man.
Ugh, the pettiness of that abducting ploy; whilst I am fond of the servants of Sithis, Astrid herself I cannot seem to abide to; her concern for favouring her clients and her broken honour over her traditions remain a concrete testament of her blame for the arid remains of a once great order.
Tense chapter, friend, I feel very stirred by what has transpired but oh so excellently presented; in prose and picture.
Grim and Wolfgar are also half-brothers (their mutual father is Fenrir) so they have an exceptionally strong bond, which is about to fully tested by Astrid. I only hope I can go through with my plan.
In regards to Delvin - let me just say he is one of my favorites in the game. He and Brynjolf are the two nicest guild characters to the player and I always appreciated that. However he was the most logical, and natural, choice for this story. I do not want to spoil anything but just know he has regrets and perhaps he wonders if he made the right choice ...
As for Sithis, well no hope there. Sending an immortal soul to the void ... there is no worse evil IMO. Oh the idea of Padamoy and Anu is fine - order and chaos, life and death, ying and yang, the interaction of opposites is what drives creation after all. But the Sithis tha tthe DB worships - that is pure evil IMO. Death, that I can deal with for an assasin. Grim kills plenty. But that is the flesh. Grim abhors anything that tampers with souls.
He refuses to ever use enchanting as a skill as it requires souls. He even avoids enchanted items - limiting himself to only those items that are fueled by supernatural powers (such as amulets of the divine or daedric artifacts). Likewise he won't use conjuration for the most part as it is a form of slavery. Even absorbing dragon souls gives him a lot of unnease.
So yea, followers of Sithis he will pretty much kill on site. But I think you are right about Astrid even if we see it from two different angles. The one thing I liked about her in the game was that she deviated from the far more evil order that followed Sithis and does it more for the money ... meaning I almost think she could care less about sending souls to the void.
I am glad you enjoyed the story and I have much more to come