Novirhwin was born in Riften to a female Bosmer and male Nord. Her mother, Aidendrel, held the occupation of being an alchemist, a skill she learned from a reputable man in the town who ran a shop. Aidendrel had been taken on as the master alchemists apprentice around the age of eighteen. Her parents had paid the man a great sum of money to agree to teach her before they returned to their homeland. They wanted a better life for her, one where she could live well. She stayed with the man for 3 years, during which time she studied hard and hung on the Imperial’s every word. She was determined to learn a worthwhile skill that she could use to make a living in the harsh land of Skyrim. Unfortunately, toward the beginning of her fourth year of apprenticeship, a rival appeared in the form of a busty, beautiful young Imperial. Her mentor decided that he had taught Aidendrel enough for the amount of money he had previously been paid. Even though he had promised to make her his permanent assistant after her training was complete. Infuriated and betrayed, Aidendrel had no choice but to leave as she was commanded. She made off with several of his recipes, notes, and books. The authorities were unable to find the stolen possessions so they could not arrest her. In a rather vulnerable state, Aidendrel took to the Ratway to drown her sorrows at the Ragged Flagon. There she met a Nord who had done business with the Thieves Guild. Unfortunately, she was smitten by the man long enough to conceive a child. Once she realized that she was pregnant, she arranged a small ceremony at the Temple of Mara. The Nord agreed, realizing the need to take responsibility for his actions. At the same time, he intended to settle in Riften while the Thieves Guild searched for a family heirloom he had lost in a bet years ago. Although he knew the ways of stealth himself, he lacked the connections of the guild. The Bosmer had a place to stay that was slightly better than the Bunkhouse, so he saw it as a lucky break. It was a marriage without love, like many in Skyrim, but they remained together. Nine months later, Aidendrel gave birth to a relatively healthy baby girl.
Aidendrel now realized what her parents had felt when they left her in Skyrim. From the first time she looked upon Novirhwin, she was determined to make a better life for her daughter. She started early, teaching the child all that she knew the skills she had obtained over her life. Thankfully, Novirhwin seemed to have inherited more Bosmer than Nord. Archery came naturally to her and with the preening of her mother, Novi learned well. Despite her experiences with the apprenticeship, alchemy remained Aidendrel’s passion. She was pleased that her daughter was enthusiastic about leaning, particularly about poisons. With the constant support from her mother, Novirhwin had a relatively happy childhood, aside from the nights when her father would become abusive under the spell of too much mead. For the most part, however, the man was decent. Even though he provided for his family in no way, he did his part to pass along what little knowledge he had onto his daughter. He taught her the ways of stealth, as well as how to pick locks and steal without being caught. When she became old enough, he used her to pilfer goods and money from unsuspecting travellers and citizens of Riften. He took all the money she made and used it to pay off his debt with the Thieves Guild, who had found his precious heirloom but charged him an outlandish fee. Though his “honor” was restored, he doubted he could ever repay the Guild.
When she was about nineteen years old, after being told her mother’s past grievances with the head alchemist, Novi made a decision. She would get revenge for her mother. At first she considered killing the old alchemist, but instead decided to target the woman he chose over her mother. After the stroke of midnight, she picked the lock of the man’s shop and crept to the upstairs portion where he lived. She discovered a small bottle of tonic kept by the woman’s nightstand. Using a poison she had crafted herself, Novi slipped a few drops into the tonic. The next day, news spread over town of her unfortunate death. It was labeled as an accident, a hazard of living among so many potentially dangerous ingredients. Her mother was pleased once she heard, but Novi did not tell her that it was her doing. A year later, once she was of age, her father decided to exploit his daughter future. He arranged for her to become a member of the Thieves Guild. She would work to pay off his debt. As long as she remained a productive member, the Guild promised to no longer bother the Nord. Reluctantly, Novi agreed to the arrangement. She was good at what she did, but hated the work. She remained with the Guild for a little over a year. One night, however, she was assigned to a relatively tricky mark. Pickpocketing was never her forte, as her skill lied best in lockpicking and keeping unseen. She was having trouble obtaining the item and became frustrated. In a rush of adrenaline, she killed the mark, using her dagger to slit his throat. The man was an average, fair merchant just trying to make a decent living by selling his wares. Novi had no real reason to kill him, unlike when she murdered the Alchemist’s whore. She simply became annoyed with the ways of the Thieves Guild, of their creed not to cause physical harm. Plus, she had never seen the point of stealing before killing. When the Guild learned of what she had done, she was cast from their ranks. Her mother was ecstatic, overjoyed that her daughter was finally freed of her slavery. Her father, however, was outraged. Even in a year’s time, she had not earned enough to completely absolve his debt.
After botching her position in the Thieves Guild, there was no reason for her to remain in Riften. Aidendrel insisted that she leave and find her place in the world. Novirhwin left under one condition, that her mother to force out her husband. There was no reason for the two to remain together. Even other the years, nothing in the guise of love had been established between them. Aidendrel promised her daughter and gave her a small amount of savings she had been gathering for the day Novirhwin decided to leave home. With her second murder under her belt, Novi realized how much she had enjoyed both occasions. She remembered her mother always telling her to do what she loved and if it could earn her money while doing it, all the better. Growing up, she had heard stories of a guild who lent their services to those in need of someone permanently eliminated. The Dark Brotherhood. Novirhwin gathered books on the cult and learned all she could about them. She heard rumors of a sanctuary of the guild near Falkreath. Although it was practically on the other side of Skyrim, Novirhwin set course for the small town. She lacked enough money to simply take a coach, so she used the survival skills her mother had instilled in her. When at last she reached Falkreath, she scoured the surrounding area until she discovered the door to the Sanctuary. “What is the music of life?” It asked in a low, hissing voice that sent chills cascading down her spin.
Common Experiment #696
Abysmal
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