JoS/Henriette/17th Journal - Punishment

Sun's Height, 9th, 4E 202

Mercer gave me one of the most bizarre and contradictory rants I've ever heard. He sounded like he was saying it must be me because of how Maven had given me good marks for all my previous gigs, but at the same time, he kept reminding me how I'm worthless, how much I owe him, and how much trouble I've caused him. Which is it? Have I helped you, or have I caused you trouble?

So anyway, he has figured out who's the person who sold the Goldenglow Estate is. He still doesn't know the buyer, but since we know the seller, we should also be able to figure out the buyer's identity. This buyer must be someone who has a problem with the guild, and the plan seems to be to drive a wedge between Maven and the guild.

My job here is really straightforward. I must go to Solitude, again, and find this man Mercer talked about. His name is Gulum-Ei, and he's an ex-insider for the guild, now working for the East Empire Company. I must admit, I'm a little anxious about this one… This Argonian might know me, and who knows, he might be even on good terms with "him". I obviously can't tell this to Mercer, but I'm probably not the best suited for this job. But if I botch this, Maven will have my head. Or more likely my ass.

I also had to tell Sofia and Serana about my recent troubles and went into detail about what exactly might be at stake there. They were mighty worried and demanded that they must help me. I told them that I was delighted to hear that, and I really was, but this is something I must do alone, at least for now. It's okay, I told them, as long as I can keep the situation from escalating. We decided to stop by at home and split up again from there. I will go to Solitude alone.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place: I need to find a way to do this job without angering either side… I just fear that it's impossible.

Sun's Height, 10th, 4E 202

I should've known that Gulum-Ei knows me. He has seen me. He's not one of the men who had a chance to use me, which just made him hungrier.

He wasn't initially willing to reveal if he had information, and I wasn't even sure how far I could push him. I was playing with fire, big time. In the end, getting him to talk through the art of seduction was the right approach for him. But the problem was that I'm really, really not attracted to lizard people…

Well, no matter, I did what I had to do. I gave him the blowjob he wasn't able to get from me the last time around, and I made him a really happy Argonian in doing so. Didn't end up making me too happy though, because, in the end, this still wasn't enough. All he said was that such a deal exists, but if he's not giving out names, I'm out of luck. He also confirmed that the person is mostly doing this to anger Mercer, which proves the boss's suspicions correct, which could be used to narrow the field of suspects… But that's it.

I'm not sure how to even get anything more out of him. There must be some other way, but I can't just threaten him… He would rat me out to "him", I fear, and that would be the end of me no doubt.

On the second thought, would he really rat me out? What if I went to "him" first, maybe tried to expose Gulum-Ei for his dealings with the Thieves Guild in return, about how he's not exactly an honest actor? No, that wouldn't work either… No way… I don't know what kind of connections "he" himself has, so it could even backfire.

I'm unsure what's the best way forward here. For now, I think I will try to follow this bastard around and maybe, just maybe, find out something that way. Perhaps a secret lair or something? Who knows, he might have some documents of his own stored somewhere.

Sun's Height, 10th, 4E 202

I've got a whole lot of good news and a whole lot of bad news; many important developments have taken place, and I'm going to be in trouble…

So, I followed Gulum-Ei to the warehouse, and I heard him have a chat with the Imperial man who has me under a tight leash. They talked about me, and now he knows I've been asking questions. He said he must punish me harshly, but he's unwilling to have me disposed of and taken off the picture just yet. "I still need her", he said, which sounded just mysterious. That's good news for now, but the big takeaway from what he says is "yet", meaning that he might be planning on trying to get me "disposed of" later. That's a scary thought… I might need some serious help from my friends on this one…

Still, this has turned into a messy situation, and I've all but confirmed that telling "him" about Gulum-Ei's dealings with various criminal organizations isn't going to help at all, considering that there are even more of those connections deeper in this warehouse.

So, when I followed this slimy lizard further, I found a passageway to a cavern full of bandits. These bandits aren't your normal ones, that's for sure. These guys are rich. This place is packed with all kinds of exotic goods, illegal goods as well, even slaves. That Imperial must be involved in all of this, and Gulum-Ei undoubtedly has his hands deep in this one… Is it even safe for me to go along with this mission anymore?

I don't know if I can abandon this job. I'm sure that Mercer and Maven have their own connections to powerful mercenaries and bandits. Whatever I do here, I will be making enemies. The only question is, enemies out of who…

It could very well be possible that I will be in hot water with the man in charge here no matter what I do. It's going to be a huge gamble, perhaps the biggest one of my life, but I will side with the guild on this. If I make it out of here, even if the truth about me killing the Emperor escapes my Master's lips and he becomes my enemy, at least I can hide with the Brotherhood. The guild wouldn't want to associate themselves with me after that, as I'd be too dangerous to keep around… Maybe I could just hide in Castle Volkihar and live there permanently…

One thing I could also do is just go back to Riften and report what I've found, saying it's all… Mercer wouldn't be satisfied though… No way…

Damn it all… Why did destiny have to lead me down this road? I want to go back to my old life when everything was easy.

Sun's Height, 11th, 4E 202

One thing I knew was that no matter what, killing anyone here was never an option. I had to sneak my way to Gulum-Ei. There were some close calls where I thought I was discovered, but nobody ever started looking for me. I had a safe pathway to my target.

I snuck up to him, and after finding him alone, I pressed the dagger to his neck. As scared as he was about dying, I was equally afraid that this might lead to something undesirable and that it would end badly for me as well. However, the fact that his life was in my hands gave me much room to negotiate. I reminded him that I'm here just for one thing and that one thing is a name. I told him that I need this, I really need this. I practically begged him, saying that I didn't want to hurt him or anyone else, but I would have to slit his throat wide open if I wasn't gonna get my answers. I said I have both Mercer and Maven backing me on this, and I think that worked because that made him speak.

Gulum-Ei finally gave me the name: Karliah. She used to be part of the Thieves Guild, and she murdered the previous guild master Gallus. She has some kind of vendetta against the guild. He also mentioned "a place where the end began" and that Mercer would know what it means.

There was one last thing for us to consider, the price of keeping his mouth shut. I asked him, whatever he wanted, I would do. I don't want this situation to escalate, no fucking way.

I never had a chance to hear the terms before a man grabbed me from behind and tied my arms up. Then, Gulum-Ei spoke. He told me that I'm indeed going to do what he wants now, and while he was thankful for me sparing him, he said he's not going to let my behavior go unpunished. He said he's going to make me pay by having me taste just some of what he puts his merchandise through.

Bandits were already circling around me, and they pushed me into some cage with nothing more than a bedroll in it. They cuffed my hands to the bars surrounding the cage and one by one fucked me from behind. Some of them just did my pussy, while others fancied my ass. It was nothing special, nothing heartbreaking, nothing I could handle, but it was exhausting nonetheless. The scariest experience was still ahead of me.

After the bandits were done, they led an animal into the cage with me. It was a massive Sabrecat. They assured me that he's been well trained and won't rip me into shreds or try to eat me, but it didn't make the situation any less terrifying. That damned beast stuck its insanely huge member into me. I swear, it was so big I could feel my belly expand and bulge out simply from it trying to stick it down all the way to the hilt. And then, the pain, the damned pain from those barbs grinding and rubbing my insides. It overwhelmed my senses like nothing ever before, and I was practically begging in tears for it to be over, but weirdly enough, I was able to deal with it. Eventually.

It felt like he did me for ages, and when he eventually nutted, he came with more than I could've ever imagined. I was left shaking and twitching, unable to support my body with my knees. The way that wild animal dominated me was nothing short of amazing. The men released me from my chains, and Gulum-Ei himself came inside the cage. He turned me around to my back and forced himself on top of me, raping my motionless body in a missionary position.

I was too tired to even raise my arms. He kept throwing derogatory comments my way all the way through his rape. He called me so many names, shaming me for my sluttiness and my lack of intelligence, all while he made me cum from his lizard dick. "You should stop pretending to be an adventurer, stupid bitch", he said. "Just throw it all away and embrace your destiny, you whore", he also said. "Little cunts like these are only good for fucking."

It was just a constant barrage of abuse… And after he shot his seed into me, he just downed a bottle of Skooma and plunged his still rock-hard prick back into my pussy. "You should've killed me when you had the chance, you brat", he said. "You're never gonna get a chance at my life again."

That went on for a while until he eventually gave up and got bored with me. He locked the door of the cage and left me alone…

It took me a while to recover and even a longer while to collect myself and wipe out the tears. Yeah, it's been a while since I've cried the last time around… It's just… I'm in a no-win situation here, and it pains me… I fear these people. I really do. They have too much power over me, and I know they're not afraid to exercise it. I don't know if this is it… Gulum-Ei may let me go, but what about that Imperial…

Sithis, if you hear me, if you still even accept this failure of a child to serve you, please give me strength…

Sun's Height, 12th, 4E 202

I didn't end up being held captive by Gulum-Ei for long, thankfully. He seemed very pissed when he came to me, probably because he intended to keep me down here for a long time. Well, I'm just going to be handed from his hands to other ones, as apparently, my "Master" wants to see me, and since I couldn't be just handed over… He had to release me momentarily.

I'm gonna take a few hours to rest before I do… Courier gave me the letter almost as soon as I entered Solitude, and I'm not expected to meet him immediately. I have three days. So, it's all good.

Sun's Height, 13th, 4E 202

Things proceeded precisely like they did the last time around. They blindfolded me, after which they took me to my Master. He said in no uncertain terms that he's displeased with me and the fact that I've been sticking my nose into one of his underling's business and that there will be a price for me to pay. He won't be tolerating insolence from me much longer, but he was at least willing to hear my side of the story and my motives about why I would do something like this.

I decided that it's for the best for me to just be honest. I told him that I've been affiliated with the Thieves Guild for a long time, longer than he's had me under his thumb, and that I was sent here by my superiors to investigate Gulum-Ei and find out who he had sold the Goldenglow Estate to. Thank Sithis, it ended up being a good choice… I might've been able to weasel my way out of the worst-case scenario.

Well, he's okay with me pursuing my own goals and with me being aligned with any faction I wish… But he also reminded me of what he had told me. "When I told you to stay out of trouble", he said, "I really meant it." I'm playing a very dangerous game right now, he continued, and if it ends up costing me my freedom, if I get caught and end up being investigated for everything I've done, I'm going to be serving a life sentence, and there's no escape from that sentence like there was from Cidhna Mine. "Would you really want that", he asked me. "A vampire, an immortal being, unchanging, an eternal child… A life that cannot end by natural means, being held captive for centuries to come… That's what at cost here, little girl."

He knows very well that I'm unable to just walk away from this life, not with the people I'm aligned with, not with a large part of Tamriel wanting me dead for the crime of simply existing as a vampire. But I couldn't just say that… I was too afraid to… And he knows it too… The smirk on his face says it all… I wonder if this is actually what he's seeking…? He's praying for my inevitable fall… This must be like a game to him, I think…

He then said that I got off the hook a little too easily last time around and that he has something in store for me later this evening. Until then, I've been ordered to just wait in his room.

Sun's Height, 14th, 4E 202

It was honestly and thoroughly a difficult experience, but in a different way than last time around. It was emotionally demanding, and it was embarrassing.

The guards came down to get me, stripped me naked, tied my arms, put me on a leash, and actually walked me outside. Even though I was blindfolded, I could tell simply from the sounds and the voices of people that they were taking me to the Solitude docks.

Shops had closed for the day, the ships had been anchored, and the fishermen had gone home. This had left the guards and the bandits with a lot of space to set up pillories there. Yeah, I knew there were more than just one because there were three young girls there besides me, all kids like me, presumably Gulum-Ei's merchandise. The guards then happily announced that they offered cheap pussies for sale, just ten Septim to cum inside us. To think they could get away with whoring us out so close to the city!

It was only over once the sun started rising again. I had passed out a couple of times during the ordeal, but they always made sure to whip and slap me back awake. After it was time for me to return to the warehouse, there was no more reason to keep me awake, so they let me finally pass out for good. I'm not even going to pretend I counted how many men I took that night… Fifty? Hundred? Actually, it was precisely 89… They told me that at the end while bragging about how much money they made off me.

When I woke up, I woke up in my Master's arms. He had already woken up a little prior to me, and he was stroking my head. He told me that there was one final thing left for me to do before he could release me back into the wild… And that thing was some drug-fueled fucking.

So, he made me drink some Skooma, and then he made me suck his dick. I mean, it was pretty incredible, not gonna lie… His dick scales pretty well with the rest of his body, meaning that he's packed like a horse. He lasted so long as well… I had to put in some real work to finally make him cum just once.

Then, he wanted to put me to work again, prompting me to mount his dick and ride it. So, I did, working my hips up and down as well as I could while being completely smashed and intoxicated. I don't even remember half of it, but it felt so good. It was so much fun…

For the third and final round, he took me standing up, and because he is so much taller and bigger than me, he was carrying me, holding me by my legs, almost like in some kind of weird chokehold. He kept jerking my body up and down his girthy meat in a neat package. He had made me feel good before as well, but he brought me to a squirting orgasm in this position, not just once, but twice. Or maybe I actually peed myself… I don't remember…

After that, he told me to leave in one hour. The problem was that I was still smashed, didn't exactly afford to get arrested for it… Luckily I made it to Morthal safely to rest and recover…

I don't know if I can ever show my face around in Solitude again. I mean, most of the men were probably corrupt city guards, workers at the warehouse, and bandits, but some of the 89 men probably could've been regular citizens, sailors, and beggars too. Sure, I was blindfolded, but this damn mark on my stomach makes me easy to recognize…

Well, in the end, I still have my freedom. A job well done I suppose? Well, at least better than I expected. I continue to stay free for a while longer, and I have news for Mercer too.

Sun's Height, 15th, 4E 202

For the first time ever, it seems like Mercer was happy with me doing a job right, but that doesn't mean he was pleased with the news I brought him. He seemed both angry and scared when I uttered the name "Karliah", but he also stressed that we must act to track her down. Mercer could interpret the riddle given to me by Gulum-Ei, and so we both will be heading to Snow Veil Sanctum. It'll be just the two of us, but he insists it's okay. Neither of us would be enough to face Karliah alone, but together, we can kill her for sure.

Mercer has been waiting for this revenge for years, so it must feel really good for him to finally extract it… After helping him deal with this, I hope to finally wash my hands off this mess.

Sun's Height, 17th, 4E 202

Mercer and I braved through the trap-filled ancient ruin, killing Draugr as we advanced deep into its depths. Mercer is - to give credit where credit's due - a talented and skilled fighter. Even though he belittled me a lot through our excavation, even though we had some disagreements on strategy, he was an outstanding companion to team up with.

Then, we arrived at the hall of stories, which is basically a name for the walk leading towards the main hall of the burial, usually sealed away by a Nordic puzzle wall. Considering that we hadn't come across Karliah yet, it was safe to assume she was waiting in ambush there. The problem was, we didn't have the claw to operate the door, as it was presumably with Karliah. I turned towards him, asking what to do, and surprisingly to me, he said that he knew how to unlock the mechanism using tools. He was holding this strange key, which I suppose is the "tool" he talked about, but he didn't proceed to open it just yet. Instead, he said that I should go in first. He handed me an invisibility potion and told me that I should use that to my advantage.

That's the plan, and here's what happened.

I was immediately was hit by an arrow straight to my chest, an arrow that had been coated with some potent poisonous cocktail. I didn't even know what direction it was coming from, and I had no idea I could even be seen through my invisibility. Paralyzed by it, I couldn't move at all, and the pain was greater than anything I've ever felt in my life. I just collapsed on the floor, thinking I was going to die there and then, but… Of course, you know that isn't the case, since I'm writing this and all…

Karliah revealed herself. It was her who had shot me. Obviously. At first, I thought these two were working together to set up some kind of ambush to get rid of me because Mercer wasn't coming for my defense or didn't even seem all that outraged by me collapsing on the floor. But no, when they spoke, and the discussion turned out to be quite a revealing one. It became apparent to me that it was Mercer who had killed the previous leader, not Karliah. I was so confused at the whole thing! Like, what did it mean?

Realizing she wasn't going to win, Karliah made a hasty escape, one which Mercer had no counter for. She cited that facing him head-on would be a suicide, which led to me being left alone with Mercer. He kneeled down next to me and sighed as he checked my pulse. He said that my heart rate was slowing down, and he said that I was probably going to die. "A damn shame", he said.

For a moment, I thought, nay… I HOPED that he would try to tend to me and help me, but of course, it wouldn't be my life without some roadblocks coming my way and everything I worked for being reduced to ashes as I end up being a victim of betrayal. What's up with all these influential leaders trying to fuck me over? First, it was Astrid, now it's Mercer… I guess you could also count Harkon? Technically, it was me who betrayed him in the end, but no doubt he would've done the same to me. The point is, I should know better to not trust leaders of criminal organizations by now.

"Shame for you, that is", he continued as he stood up. He said he didn't know if I could be trusted, and in the end, me dying here in this tomb where nobody would find my corpse is going to be advantageous for him. He said something about not wanting to plunge a sword into a defenseless child, after which he stood up. Lastly, he said that it's a shame he never had a chance to bed and punish me, but it's not like there aren't any other young sluts for him to ravage. I passed out as I felt extreme pain in my chest. The poison had spread all over my body, causing my heart to stop beating.

Even despite being a high-grade asshole, he still is a little bit too soft, or maybe he's just dumb. He should've honestly stabbed me if he wanted to get rid of me, or maybe chop off my head or light my body on fire… I'm glad that he didn't have the foresight because… Well… Here I fucking am!

When I woke up, Karliah was able to tend to my injuries and save my life after that. She's young-looking, short, and flat-chested Dunmer with uncharacteristic purple eyes. You know, because typically, Dark Elves have red eyes. Her hands were so gentle, and her voice soft like a mother's lullaby. She told me to relax and just lie down, as I was going to be alright.

Firstly, she apologized for shooting me, as she had initially planned that arrow for Mercer, who she thought was coming alone. "I never expected you", she said. The poison was never meant to kill, but rather, it was meant to feign death. She called the poison Langourwine, but I have heard of it before. This served two purposes in her eyes: one, it spared me from actually dying, as Mercer would've tried to kill me, and two, it allowed her to make me see the truth and make an ally out of me. "It was a gamble", she said, "but I had a good feeling it would work out."

Okay, I kind of see where she's coming from… But shoot me? Really? I guess it wasn't really planned, but rather a split-second decision, but seriously!?

We talked at length about her side of the story. All these years, she has tried to expose Mercer of his crimes to no avail. She wants him to be brought to justice. She had recovered Gallus's journal from this tomb, which may hold the final clues and the evidence, but unfortunately, it's been encoded in a language unknown to her. She also revealed that she, along with both Gallus and Mercer, used to be good friends. They even had a splinter group of their own called Nightingales. I guess this group is part of the Thieves Guild, but at the same time, it's not. I'm not really sure… She didn't go into too much detail about what this clique was all about.

Lastly, she asked - practically begging - if I was willing to help her, and to be honest, at this point, the answer is a resounding yes! I remember how that motherfucker talked to me! He wanted me dead! Like I already wrote, he's a goddamn idiot and a softie for not actually making sure I stayed dead, and now I'm going to make sure he pays for that. Needless to say, my goals align with Karliah here!

She said she had somewhere to be but instructed me to travel to Winterhold, where I met with a man who could help me, at least somewhat. His name is Enthir, and I've seen him around inside Mage's College. He and Gallus used to be good friends, so there's no doubt that he can be trusted all the way.

He immediately knew that the journal was written in Falmer language. Very few people alive know how to read or translate it, and Enthir knows for the fact that none of them reside within the guild. But wait… Didn't I once bring Urag some tomes from the Forgotten Vale that were written in this very same language? He had translated copies of them too, so shouldn't that mean that he can translate them…? Or were they translated by someone else before his time? I mentioned this to Enthir, calling him out on his claim, but he said that even if Urag could read the book in an unlikely scenario, we shouldn't involve him in this. "It's too dangerous, too risky", Enthir said. "We'll solve this on our own."

Then the idea of asking Gelebor for help crossed my mind. Still, I didn't actually end up even mentioning it, because let's be honest, I have no intention of going on that dangerous journey through the Forgotten Vale alone. Besides, Enthir already had a plan in mind, which involves visiting a certain wizard living in Markarth. His name is Calcelmo, and the word has it that he has done some groundbreaking research into understanding Falmer language…

Well, I know what I'll be doing next. I really wanted to wash my hands clean and kiss the Thieves Guild goodbye, but now the only thing that's in my mind is revenge against Mercer for trying to kill me, for lying to me, for using me. I'm not too hot on the idea of going to Markarth, but it'll be fine, I'm sure of it.

Sun's Height, 19th, 4E 202

So, I've made it to Markarth, and I got to work pretty much immediately. I found Calcelmo and talked with him about the work he's done. He wasn't too interested in talking with me at all, he was honestly pretty distracted, but that's fine as well. It made stealing from him easier.

I lock-picked my way into the museum, which was the easy part. The place was more guarded than some of the Jarl's longhouses and castles I've seen, but I managed to sneak by. To get to Calcelmo's laboratory, I had to traverse through the Dwemer ruins, which lie inside and beneath the mountain. Easy enough. There weren't any active animunculi left, but some of the pathways still had active traps that hadn't been disarmed. Getting past them was still more manageable than trying to sneak past the guards though, so I never ran into trouble.

As for the laboratory… Well, I was expecting some notes, but I didn't end up doing that much stealing in the end. The whole research was carved into stone tablets, with the largest one being taller and wider than my sorry body, obviously impossible to move around by a single person. My hunch was that it contained all the information I was going to need though. I wondered if I was going to get away with staying here for a long time to copy the text or if there was another way? Well, there was, and I'm glad I spent some five minutes thinking about an easy solution as it probably ended up saving me an hour of painstaking work in the process. I found some large papers and some charcoal sticks, took a rubbing of the carvings, got away safely with my newly acquired scrolls. Then, I made my escape.

Looking back, I think Calcelmo will figure out someone's been in his laboratory, and considering I also harassed him for quite a while… Damn it, he may be able to connect the dots… I probably should've never talked to him… Oh well, as I didn't actually "steal" anything of worth, the worst I'll have to deal with is trespassing charges, which I can deal with, and that's only in the worst-case scenario.

Here I would love to write about how I'm on my way to Winterhold, but alas, I've made no such move. Well, I could have started my trip, but I ended up getting into some unrelated troubles to keep me occupied. It all started with me picking up a job which I thoroughly regret now.

It all started with a dirty, drunk beggar groping my butt when I was walking past him. We're not talking about a typical pervert here either. He's about as slimy as a human being can be. There was one guard looking, but the coward didn't do anything. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. I glared at the drunk, and he just smirked and laughed. He says that he remembers me very well and would love to give me a good shagging once again. Yeah, and the fact that he was one of the damned drunks who raped me thanks to that corrupt bastard on Silver-Blood's payroll just made the whole situation worse… You can just imagine the things he said to me. No. Fucking. Way. Guy's missing half his teeth, and you can probably smell his breath from a mile away.

I told him to leave me alone, but he ended up stopping me, revealing that he's actually got a job offer. He's been looking for someone to help him out, and he showed me a bag full of coins. I have no idea where he got it from, and honestly, I don't even care, so I at least heard him out. He wanted me to go steal some stupid statue from the Temple of Dibella.

That's all? I laughed out loud and agreed to the job. Easy as fuck, I thought.

It's not like me to botch a simple job like this, but I got caught quickly after infiltrating the temple, where the priestesses held some gathering or a ritual within the inner chamber. I obviously couldn't tell them that I was there to steal anything, so instead I just lied about the door being left open and about how I was simply curious… I think my ruse worked because they were willing to let me walk scot-free. Kind of.

They wanted me to do a favor for them, something about finding them a new Sybil or something. I'm not quite sure about everything that goes into Dibellan Arts and her worship, but I know that they're all promiscuous women… Well, it might be fun? I'm more of a Daedra kind of girl, but I can at least tolerate Dibella, and I'm sure she can also tolerate and appreciate my promiscuity as well.

As for the job offer by the beggar? Well, I don't think I will be returning to him. Stealing the statue would make it too obvious that it was me who did it.

I should probably return to Winterhold as quickly as possible, but I'm going to take a little side path and visit Karthwasten for those Dibellan priestesses. They said that their young Sybil could be there, and it's just by the road I'm going to be traversing anyway, so why not?

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