And so, Rolo awoke with a start, cold, hungry and naked. He had no idea what was going on, or where he was. There was a dagger in his right hand and a flame spell in his left. Two bandits were moving in on him and he had to act fast!
Without a second thought he raised his left hand and blasted the first female bandit in her fugly face! With a screech that resembled a saw mill cutting a nail in a log, she fell. The next bandit was male, and was wielding two swords at once!
Rolo's magic was depleted for the time being and he had no chance to get close to stab the man with his dagger. The only option left was to run his undie clad ass out of there. As Rolo turned tail and bolted the bandit male shouted "The sacrifices never escape!" This gave Rolo pause, a pause long enough to see the hidden bear trap that was in front of him and jump! It was at this point that Rolo's luck changed, the bandit giving him chase became victim of his own trap and was stuck. Rolo stopped and turned around, the bandit's leg was pinned in the trap; he had dropped his swords and was clutching his leg. Rolo cautiously trodded back to the bandit, it was question period...
It was not hard for Rolo to make the bandit spill the beans after Rolo had threatened to spill the bandits guts. Rolo was to be a sacrifice to their heathen gods, they had bought him off the prison in Solitude, that is all the bandit knew. Rolo couldn't leave that bandit alive, and so he broke his neck.
Rolo took both bodies and burnt them to unrecognizable crisps, then tossed each one in the river.
It was at this point that Rolo realized just how naked he was... He needed to find some pants, and a map... Rolo ran back up to bandit camp and rummaged through the chests until he found some suitable slacks.
The sun was up now and Rolo thought it time to leave. He needed to find a town and some help.
Rolo set off down the nearest path and came to a place where he could fjord the river he had thrown the bodies in. It just so happened he also found some breakfast.
Across the River Rolo found a camp, with soldiers and a blacksmith. The soldiers were to busy with discussing the civil war that was apparently going on. They just brushed Rolo off, tagging him as some weary wondering beggar trying to get their rations. The blacksmith however, was eager to hear Rolo's story. The Blacksmith listened carefully to the details of Rolo's plight, he even offered to cook Rolo's egg when he was finished. After Rolo had ate the egg the Blacksmith pointed him to the nearest town and sent him off with a gold old hearty bum slap... The Blacksmith said it was a Nord custom... Rolo wasn't so sure.
Upon cresting a hill down the road Rolo came to the town the Blacksmith had told him about, "Karthwasten". It was a small mining town, and to Rolo's dismay, it had it's own problems. This meant that no one had time to help him and he was not about to seek out another lusty blacksmith for directions...
Once again, Rolo had a realization; he was a nobody, and although that meant no one respected him, it also meant he could do what ever the hell he wanted too!
From what Rolo had over heard there was a group of mercenaries that had taken over the mine in an attempt to make the owner sell it to their employers the Silverblood family. Rolo talked to the owner, Ainethach, and decided to help him in exchange for a map.... However, when Rolo confronted the mercenary leader he offered to give Rolo armor. Naturally Rolo took the armor and decided to help the mercs.
Rolo sauntered back out of the mine and went up to Ainethach, demanding that he sell the land! Ainethat decided that is was time for a round of old "Fisty Cuffs". Unfortunately Ainethach was an old man, and Rolo beat the shit out of him... twice...
But, stubbornness also comes with age and Ainethach would not sell the land. Rolo didn't want to kill the old bastard so he demanded Ainethach sweeten the deal. Rolo was allowed to mine all the silver in the mine if he killed the mercs.
Once again he ran into the mine, but this time he proceeded to kill off each merc one at a time. There were only four, and the only one that could fight was the boss of the group... As he burned and hacked his foes Rolo mused about creating his own merc group someday, one that could actually fight well...
Ainethach was pleased, Rolo was pleased, and all the miners were pleased. They didn't have to work anymore as Rolo had mined all the silver...
But, it still remained: the town was a shit hole, and Rolo despised the place. So, after the courteous good byes and farewell hugs, he burned the place to the ground!
With his map and silver in tow it was off to Solitude. As Rolo skipped down the road he came upon a official courier of Solitude. Just a boy to most, but to Rolo he was an easy disguise and a way to get into the city later on! Out came the bow, and in flew the arrow to the boy's head. It was the perfect shot, but because the arrow had hit the brain the boy's nerve system reacted in kind causing him to flail about and shit his pants... Rolo chased the maniac corpse all the way to the river where he pushed it in for a bath.
Rolo dawned his new diggs and set off down the road, relishing in the life of a nobody. Along the road the killing spree continued. A rat was roasted, a thief was roasted and even a bandit ambush was roasted. Rolo was running on fumes by the time he reached another fjord in the river...
New Diggs
"I HATE RATS"
"I HATE LIZARDS!"
"I HATE BLOOD STAINS!"
"RIVER FJORDS ARE OK!"
Rolo jumped the fjord and walked a little ways when he spotted the peak of a roof. He decided it was here he would stay the night, and there would be no more killing this day. He walked up to the door way and asked if anyone was home. A young man came in the back door and asked how he could help. He was a crab fisherman, and this was his summer camp. He told Rolo he was more than welcome to stay, as there was not much company in these parts. Rolo was pleased but asked if the man knew anything about the Nord bum slap custom. The man had no idea what Rolo was talking about, and so Rolo was content. In the morning he would leave for Solitude, hopefully not having to kill or burn the man's house down.
--END--
