Custom Common Jollin
nene
It is mid-day when you pass through the city gates and you find yourself mesmerized by the changed surroundings, lost among the crowds of citizens scuttling about with their daily duties.
It was many moons ago that you last visited. What once was the cold, inhospitable trading capital that you'd remembered it to be—loud and busy and lacking of warmth in all regards—has changed to be a bit more lively; the cityfolks a bit more jovial, the overall appearance of the town now flush with the touch of nature.
On Arcadia's request, you were sent to retrieve a parcel of taproots from the city's apothecary. No sooner did you step through the gates were you interrupted by a masked presence.
"You there! State your business,"
the guard before you bellows. Taking a moment to assess you, the guard's tenseness eases as he offers to guide you to the shop.
Through idle chatter, you find he is a rather carefree fellow. Solitude's been peaceful these days, and he digresses. While his cousin out in Whiterun is fighting dragons, he's delegated to guard duty.
The guard motions forward. In your farthest line of sight is a peculiar-looking shop. Despite the recent greenery introduced to Solitude, the storefront—which you make out to be your destination—sticks out like a sore thumb. You part ways and head closer.
Through idle chatter, you find he is a rather carefree fellow. Solitude's been peaceful these days, and he digresses. While his cousin out in Whiterun is fighting dragons, he's delegated to guard duty.
"They've got me standin' around all day. Could've been at the Winking Skeever with an ale in my hand by now,"
he says, shaking his head.The guard motions forward. In your farthest line of sight is a peculiar-looking shop. Despite the recent greenery introduced to Solitude, the storefront—which you make out to be your destination—sticks out like a sore thumb. You part ways and head closer.
"WHAT IS IT, YOU SAY? DRAGONS?"
Although you can't see it through his mask, you can sense the fear in his voice and by the way his legs are shaking. He scurries off before you can finish your next sentence, and you question whether he's going to tell his men or run away himself. Solitude's guards these days are certainly not as brave as they used to be...
You compose yourself and carry on with the task—finding the shop—and take your chances down one street. Not much farther do you walk before a peculiar-looking shop comes within your line of sight. Despite the introduction of greenery within Solitude, the storefront is a sore thumb (rather garishly) flush with blooms. You gather easily that it is your destination.
You catch her attention, your steps heavy from the weight of your belongings and she turns around. Bright-eyed, she greets you...
"Welcome! A traveler? What can I do for you today?"
"We've just received a shipment of herbs, so there's plenty in stock right now for your needs. Go ahead and take a look!"
(Once you are done browsing, click the CHAT or back button to continue the conversation.)
"Ah, so I've been told! I'll fetch your package from the back. Please, come in and make yourself at home."
You follow her into the shop, slightly curious to know what is inside. Before disappearing into the back, she motions you to a chair and table near the window. Covered by vines, the glass allowed only for small rays of light to peer through; the dimness is remedied by several lit candles and a lantern.
Left in silence and comfort for a moment, you let out a deep breath and relax your muscles. You hadn't realized how tired you were until taking a seat, and the aroma of lavender nearly allows you to drift into a lull until the girl emerges with the parcel.
"...I'm sorry?"
You quote the sacred text, The Great Houses of Morrowind: "GRAVITY is the essential seriousness of life...A light, careless life is not worth living."
You try to explain that it is to be taken literally, but she doesn't appear to believe it. In fact, she seems a bit wary of you now.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! I've got them right here."
Running to you with vigor in her step, she hands you the weighty package tightly bound with monk's cloth. There must be some fifty roots inside, and you stumble back slightly from surprise.
"I'd nearly forgotten how far you must have ventured to come here. Please, take a seat and rest up a bit. Could I offer you some tea?"
"Oh no,"
she responds with a chuckle,"my friend Callach is the one that's got a knack for picking fights of all sorts. I tag along sometimes to see how well my potions work...and also to find herbs for the shop!"
"Wonderful! I'll be just a moment."
She offers you some freshly brewed tea and pulls a chair over. While you're slowly recuperating, you entertain her with your adventures. At some point you manage to break away in thought of your heroic tales and the conversation shifts to her.
From the bits you've strung together, you know that her name is Selane; that she was born in Falkreath; and that she's currently apprenticing under the court mage.
"Yes, far south of Solitude, among the forest outskirts. It's gone now, a burial site in its place..."
She tells you about the village she was born in, close to the Evergreen Grove. Her father was a logger by trade, loving but often absent from his trips to cities in need of supply; her mother, a herbalist that found work in treating the locals. She recounts pleasant memories of staying inside the shop, reading books her father'd brought back home.
Unfortunately, she admits, her parents and the village perished in flames.
"Yes. We'd heard news of Helgen's ruin not just a month before, but certainly no one from Falkreath could have predicted being the next target...up in flames, it went, and so did the surrounding areas."
She was by the lake that day and followed the trail back to the house to find her mother; they met halfway on the trail, where her injured mother gave her a satchel, and told her they'd be leaving for a carriage immediately.
"My father had died under the initial attack, so we were to hurry and escape with the survivors. My mother died not long after we departed... Our village had lived in peace. The deaths, the sudden attack--it's something I still can't understand."
"The wagon I rode took me north to Solitude. Thankfully, outside of the grounds that were attacked, the roads were relatively safer. We ran into a few highwaymen, but these were survivors from my village that were with us. We were lucky to have a skilled hunter."
"When I arrived in Solitude, I had the satchel my mother gave me, as well as some of her belongings from her passing."
There were many useful herbs within, medicinal treatments that were only known to the few alchemists in her region. She'd shadowed her mother during forest outings and learned of all the little secrets...and luckily, none of the city thieves thought her belongings held any worth.
"My mother would tell me to hold all these recipes in memory; that one day I'd find myself needing them when she wasn't around."
That proved to be true. The late Jarl had recently been murdered, and the hold faced uncertainty in many regards. The palace was in discord over his wife taking the throne, and outside, Solitude's people were shaken by Ulfric Stormcloak's rise.
Where aid was needed, Selane made use of her medicinal knowledge in exchange for food and security. She'd caught the eye of Angeline Morrard, proprietor of the city's apothecary shop. The elderly lady, feeling sympathy, offered her guidance and a place to stay.
"Ms. Morrard passed about a year ago...that was when the court mage, Melaran, took me under his wing."
"These are for you, traveler. I recently brewed a batch of ambrosia and ground mugwort. If you happen to encounter any troubles on your way back to Whiterun, I hope you'll find it of use."
