JoS/Kanna/9th Journal - Twin Lamps
Frostfall, 16th, 3E 427
(By Karim)
I received summons from Caius Cosades for a special job he had for me. It surprised me, because this is the first time he's directly contacted me on this island. He also said that he's been very happy with everything I've done here so far, interviewed me for a while about any strange occurrences I've come across, but considering that I had no valuable information to give to him, we left it at that.
The actual job is regarding our fellow Blades member who's gone missing on a job, a woman who hasn't reported back to him. I first thought he was referring to Aliya since she's been out for a while, but while Caius is concerned about her whereabouts, this isn't about her.
Elone is the missing woman's name. She's a Redguard like me, a scout and an agent who alongside a Nord male named Sjorvar have been tasked in monitoring the smuggling rings and operations around the West Gash and Bitter Coast Regions. Elone's last report to Caius came a month ago regarding how one shipment of illegal goods she had been tracking had led her to a large slave-run plantation on the shores of lake Hairan, directly to the east of Pelagiad. This plantation in question is the Dren Plantation, one of the biggest centers of operation for Camonna Tong.
Caius tried to warn her to not get close to that place, but it might've fell on deaf ears. It's not like her to not report back to Caius regularly, or so he says, so she's most likely in some kind of trouble. Or she's dead. One or another. There aren't too many Caius can trust with this mission, but he says that I'm perhaps the best warrior he has at his disposal, based on what he's heard from me. That's why, he wants me to infiltrate this plantation, find out what happened to her, and save her if I can.
To get help on this mission I should first contact someone called Sterdecan, a good friend of Caius; not a member of the Blades, but rather a faction called the Twin Lamps. They're abolitionists who help slaves escape their masters on this island. A noble mission if you ask me. This dude can help me and provide me with information.
This'll without a doubt be a difficult mission, and probably a long one too. I can't risk to endanger Kanna by bringing her along with me, so she'll stay home. She's saying she wants to do some work and traveling independently. Fine I guess, as long as she doesn't do anything stupid. I know she's grown to be strong-willed and capable of defending herself if need be.
Frostfall, 17th, 3E 427
(By Karim)
Sterdecan is a Redguard man in his thirties who works under a guise of a poor farmer. He keeps a good façade with his wooden hut, small plot of arable land and a pier with an old fishing boat at the easternmost point of lake Amaya, but make no mistake about it, he's a warrior. He's dedicated his life to helping and freeing slaves from their masters with a particular interest in this region. His reasons are rather personal due to him spending his childhood in slavery.
He explained to me a lot about his work, mostly explaining to me what kind of beast we're up against. You hear about Camonna Tong a lot in these parts of Morrowind, but until you've come face to face with them you don't really know what kind of organization they really are. Sterdecan's description of them was as follows: "Take every unfair stereotype about a xenophobic Dunmer you can think, and then make it reality. Sprinkle in violent crime, slave trade and drugs, and finally, multiply it ten-fold. That's Camonna Tong in the nutshell."
That sadly doesn't even begin to describe how much of a problem they are. Nobody would worry about a band of ten or so bandits running this kind of business, but these guys are different. They have thousands of members, influence even beyond the borders of Morrowind, and they have money. Lots of it. Their kingpin himself, Orvas Dren, is a shrewd businessman, hailing from one of the richest families of this land, and he's got a lot of people on his payroll from independent businesses all the way to government-employed guards and corrupt officials. Sterdecan doesn't know exactly how far his influence goes, but he knows for the fact that Dren has members of the House Hlaalu's council in his pocket ready to do his whim against the will of the people. That is a big deal, too big of a deal for Twin Lamps to overcome alone.
Speaking of Twin Lamps, I also got to learn more about them too. As a faction they are very small with less than a hundred members, most of which are former slaves on their own right. Naturally, here in the land of the Dunmer where slavery is still legal, they have a lot of enemies, which forces them to employ tactics similar to those of other shadowy organizations, most of which operate illegally. Despite being small, they do have rich benefactors and backers to their cause, especially within the Empire. Their unofficial guild hall is actually located in the Castle Ebonheart with the Legion known to bankroll some of their missions against slave-traders.
Anyway, we're been going over our plan for a while now. Sterdecan has an insider within the plantation, who we can get information from, an Argonian by the name of Tim-Shei, more commonly known as Hums-In-Silence. If I tell him his real name, he will ask me a question about the Twin Lamps. I should reply with a code-phrase to prove to him that I'm an ally. He should tell me information about any and all recently captured slaves.
As for getting in, Sterdecan has a plan, and it should work. Always has in the past according to him. He handed me some forged papers which claim that I'm a Hlaalu Oathman sent by Nevena Ules to do some kind of routine check for… Something… Sterdecan told me to make something up. The guards aren't too bright there. Miss Ules is a member of Hlaalu Council deep in Dren's pocket, so just dropping her name should be enough for them to let me in. He just warned me to not get in contact with Orvas Dren himself, because that guy will know something's up if he sees me.
Hopefully everything will go as planned.
Frostfall, 19th, 3E 427
(By Karim)
Like Sterdecan said, getting in was easy as pie. I was initially told by an angry Orc to fuck off because they weren't a daycare or something, but when I showed him the papers, he understood and welcomed me without asking questions.
In addition to all the crop that they raise around the plantation outside the walls, they herd Netch. They're giant, floating jellyfish. Yes, floating. They don't swim. They're raised as cattle for leather, and if encountered in wild, docile if left alone, deadly and dangerous if provoked. Oh, and when I said giant, I meant it. Even the smallest, betty females have bodies larger than adult men do, and that's not even counting tentacles.
Work-force on farms is made exclusively from Argonian and Khajiiti slave-labor with the exception of a trained Netch herder as well as guardsmen to keep the slaves in check. Most of them are Hlaalu sub-contractors employed by Orvas Dren. Being on the shore of Lake Hairan, they have a decently sized docks with an access to the inner sea with lots of hot goods going through its port. That access isn't probably very easy considering all the rivers, canals and islands you have to navigate… But you can sail to the sea from here no problem.
I found my guy, Tim-Shei, resting in his hut. I guess even slaves get time off, because you don't want to work them to death. After confirming my allegiance to him and proving that I'm a friend, I got to asking my question, which I only had one of: does she have any clues about a woman by the name of Elone. He could luckily point me at her direction, telling me that there is indeed a woman who matches her description here. The problem? She's underground, and will be next to impossible to save from there.
"I saw her arrest", Tim said. "She was foolish enough to infiltrate this place alone, not sure why. When she tried to escape, the guards got her. There's a big underground basement which connects Dren's Villa with the other buildings. Camonna Tong offers premium services for their members and the VIP there, which include drugs and hookers."
Tim couldn't tell me anything beyond that, as he's obviously never been to that place. I didn't know if I could get there either, but I had to try.
Unsurprisingly, the Dunmeri bouncer was not too impressed by the papers I presented to him. "So, you're with the Hlaalu", he said. "So what?"
"I've been employed by Nevena Ules herself", I explained, preparing myself to tell him the lie I'd came up with just in case. "Basically, I've been sent to check everything's okay here."
"Everything IS okay here, n'wah", the bouncer said, still blocking the door like a wall. "Miss Ules answers to Ser Dren, and he does not approve these kinds of checks in his establishments. What would you be checking for anyway?"
"The Legion is concerned about the possibility of smuggling that take place here, which is why Miss Ules sent me. She expects me to write a persuasive report to shift the Empire's attention. Letting me in will cost you literally nothing."
"Ooooh, I see", the bouncer said, offering his open palm forward. "But it'll cost you. I'll let you in for a fifty drakes."
We got ourselves a deal, and I got in. I'm sure Caius will compensate me for these unforeseen expenses.
My next hurdle was finding my target. Luckily for me, Elone was working, and she just happened to be the only Redguard there. Made her easy to spot. She was topless, wearing a scantly little thong as a bottom with chains on her wrists and her ankles, and a collar with a long piece of chain being attached to it. She was a real beauty of mixed blood, a woman with a skin little lighter in tone than me or Kanna do. You tend to come across people like that in the northern parts of Hammerfell where we mix a lot with Nords and Bretons. She was of average height, in peak physical condition with real nice hips, a juicy butt, and a pair of tear-shaped tits, large but still perky. She was dancing on a pole, and although it didn't look like she was having good time, she did move that body well.
I sat down behind the bar counter, where a sharp-dressed Dark Elf greeted me with respect, asking what would the young Serjo like to drink. After telling him that I'm here for the ladies, hoping to have some private time, he offered me a drink on a house; a glass of Balmora Blue, chilled with magic to serve as an ice-cold beverage. It was some real nice, real strong, real sweet stuff that hit my head like a fucking hammer. I didn't know it beforehand, but I was drinking a Skooma cocktail. I hope I won't get hooked… I heard you usually don't when it comes to the pure stuff like this. This bartender was setting me up to part with as much money as possible, but honestly, I didn't even care. I asked how much would a private room be with that busty Redguard lady, and he just smirked as he said two-and-a-half hundred drakes. I knew I was getting ripped off, but I didn't care. I paid up.
A guard decked head to toe in bonemold fetched Elone and told her to come along, as she now had a paying customer. I could see it in her eyes, something about me captured her curiosity, but she did not utter a word. Nevertheless, the guard escorted us to a room where we would have privacy. The guard was left stationed outside and he said that we've been given one hour.
Elone sat down on the bed, crossed her legs and looked away, embarrassed and blushing. "I'm Elone… Happy to make your acquaintance, master…"
I had a greeting of my own waiting for her. "Caius sent me to save you."
Her eyes lit up and she stared at me. Her mouth was gaping, but she could not formulate a simple word. "You shouldn't have come here", she finally said, strictly. "One man can't save me from here alone."
"Yeah, it would seem like an impossible task, sadly", I said, as I sat down next to her.
"Oh, I see how this is…" she said with a wide smile and closed eyes. "You're here just for what I've found out, not for me per se… That's so cruel of you…"
"W-well, I would love to save you too, but like you said, it's impossible for me alone."
She laughed heartily, saying that she was just kidding. "I'm happy to tell you what I've learned", she said as she sat up, and then on top of me, face to face with me. She was urging me to get naked and shag her quick, challenging me to make love to a real woman and show her if a young, horny teenager such as myself would even be capable of pleasing her. It was bizarre, especially since I know she's a slave, doing all of this unwillingly, but she insisted on doing this anyway. "The guards are gonna be suspicious if we don't do anything", she whispered to my ear.
Almost all of my conquests are either around my age or a little younger, so getting to fuck an adult like her, a woman getting close to her thirties, is a rare pleasure. As she was stealing kisses from my lips and undressing me, my hands ran across her body, mostly her waist and her hips. Her skin was just like that of a younger lady, but she had much more to grab on, and those tits pressing against my chest were just the best. I couldn't help but to grab onto them and suck them a little as I pressed her down on the bed. She let me do all of it.
Before long I was naked and ready to go down on her once more. She baited me in with spread legs, fingering herself in anticipation. I could see she was drenched already, with her eyes focused on my dick. She wanted no foreplay, and I had no problems with that either. I pushed deep into that tight hole, allowing my brain to shut off for a moment and forget about my mission for a while.
I could properly immerse myself in everything her body had to offer. Watching those tits jump and bounce, and listening to her moan made my day. She didn't just lay down idle and clueless either, as she had plenty of fun for me throughout this as well, pulling me with those soft thighs of hers while pushing her pelvis against me. I made sure to grab onto her tits and squeeze them too, and also to lean forward to hug and kiss her. She was such a good fuck, and I wanted to show him that I'm not just some horny teenager, and I think I succeeded in doing that.
In the middle of this all I still kind of understood that I only had one hour and that time was of the essence, but I almost didn't want it to end. I did prolong the fun maybe a little bit more than I intended, time tends to fly when you're having fun, but I just couldn't resist the temptation to slam into her as hard as I could in the end. I finished the work, and I came so hard, she absolutely sucked me in. It wasn't like weeks worth of pent-up semen, as Kanna has made sure to tend to my desires, but I came enough to fill a damn bucket. I feel like the fact that Skooma and alcohol were getting to me made it all just better as well. And to top it off, even after pulling out, my dick was still rock-hard and raring to go. I had to let my little shehai down though, because as the gods are as my witness, I'm not gonna drop more cash just to shag a pretty woman.
We had about ten minutes left before the guard would knock on the door to instruct me to take my leave. I wasn't really sure what good that would even do, but I saw her rummaging through my belongings, asking if I have a travel map on me. I said yes, and helped her find it. She also loaned some ink and a pen, after which she told me to turn around, for she would draw a map on my back, citing that it would be the only piece of information I would get from her. I asked her, why the fuck, and she replied by saying that the guards will want to search my belongings before I leave to make sure I'm not bringing anything out from here. "They won't strip you though", she said with a smile on her face.
So, she drew a rough map with coastlines, and some crosses on it as well. Crosses mark the locations of centers for smuggling, which she found out on a map she saw on Dren's Villa. She did not get to steal the map, not that it would've even mattered as she didn't make it out, and instead tried to rob a rare daedric weapon from Orvas Dren to distract him from the real reason she broke into his home. "My memory is good enough", she said. "One look at the map and I'll remember the locations forever."
Smart lass, I must say.
After that, it really was time for me to pack up and leave. I promised Elone that I would be getting back to her to save her later, or at least find a way for her to escape. The Blades will not abandon her I insisted, especially now that we know she's alive. She thanked me and gave me a good, juicy kiss on my lips.
As Elone predicted, the Dunmeri bouncers searched my belongings and let me go after clearing me, after which I notified the Orc guarding the gate about me leaving and telling him that all's well and good. I had succeeded in my mission. It cost me some three hundred drakes which was like four fifths of my travel allowance, but hey, at least I got laid!
Sterdecan was happy for me, but this is where him helping me ends. He's not exactly equipped with saving Elone either, quoting that it would be a suicide mission for us to try. I'm going to either have to turn to Caius for help, or the leaders of the Twin Lamps. Or, better yet, both.
"It seems like your ally had recovered some invaluable information", he said, as he inspected the map drawn on my back. It marks seven separate locations in which Camonna Tong operates business, six if you don't count Dren Plantation. These locations according to Sterdecan's and my own travel map point towards Balmora, Sadrith Mora and Vivec City, in which their bases may be difficult to locate, but also mark the small settlements of Hla Oad and Gnaar Mok, as well as a small plantation of Gro-Bagrat, located somewhere between Vivec City and Dren Plantation.
"You should take this information to my boss", he suggested. "Her name is Ilmeni Dren, and she lives in St. Delyn canton of Vivec."
That name, by the way, is no coincidence. Ilmeni is Vedam Dren's daughter, who in turn is Orvas Dren's brother. Ilmeni is a leader of an abolitionist movement, her father is the Grandmaster of House Hlaalu AND the "Duke of Vvardenfell" as appointed by the Empire, and Orvas Dren is a kingpin of a xenophobic mafia. What the fuck is with this family? Man, they must have some weird-ass family dinners.
Jokes aside, I will first take this information to Ilmeni. Sterdecan gave me precise instructions on how to find her, and told me to make sure to tell one of her bodyguards that Sterdecan sent me. They would ask me the same old question, to which I would answer with the passcode. Got it, simple stuff.
All of that was yesterday, today I traveled to Vivec City. Ilmeni is out currently, but I should be able to meet with her tomorrow.
Frostfall, 19th, 3E 427
(By Kanna)
With Karim gone on an important mission, I'll be alone for a time being. I'll be working alone away from my new home for the first time. I hope it'll go well.
There hasn't been a reason for me to write recently, not with me staying put here in Balmora for like two weeks now. I've mostly spent it reading and studying inside on the rainy days, and working in my garden on sunny days. Karim has been showing me some further moves when it comes to daggers, but his style is completely different from what I learned in Cheydinhal. You know, there are multiple ways you can fight with a same weapon, so the differences go all the way from your basic stance to how and where you strike… I regret to say that Karim's style of balanced combat doesn't suit me as much as the Brotherhood's ultra-offensive style of all-out offense and murder.
I've also been training how to throw weapons, in addition to how to make my conjured weapons last longer. Conjured daggers make for some really nice thrown weapons, you see. My accuracy is off most of the time though, so I need a lot of practice before I can make this an effective means of damaging my opponents. Lastly, I'm also starting to get hang of how to mix potent potions and poisons. Slowly but surely, I'm getting better in all fields.
Me doing my job for Mephala was a slow progress, and it already started like a week ago. I figured out where my target lived, spied him for a while and tried to figure out how to get in without being seen. You could slip inside through the door on the roof, which made it all very easy. Then, all I had to do was wait for him to be adequately distracted while also cooking something, which by the way, was really boring. Took me three days to find a good time to strike. Nevertheless, I slipped in and placed the poisonous herb in his cauldron. Three hours later, his house had turned into a crime scene with Hlaalu shaking their heads, wondering how he could've been poisoned at his own home with zero witnesses. All that waiting and prep-work paid off.
I returned to Mephala's altar yesterday, which was the first time I've ever traveled alone like this. These roads aren't very dangerous, so I never worried about getting in trouble.
Mephala rewarded me with a special kind of ring, "the Ring of Khajiiti", one that could not only turn me invisible, but also grant me quiet steps to allow me to even run quietly. This is neat since I suck at Illusion magic. The ring gets its name from a Khajiiti thief by the name of Rajhin who stole the ring from Mephala and used its powers to become the greatest thief of all time. Legend says he even stole a tattoo from an Empress's arm, but I'm calling bullshit. Mephala warned me not to use it too much though, as the ring is known to have a mind of its own, and known to rebel against its masters should they rely on it too much. "She can be a fickle little thing sometimes", or so Mephala said.
I was also given my first two writs of execution by Eno. My targets are some secluded, rogue Ashlander, as well as a Redoran noble who lives somewhere here in the city. Both jobs could prove to be difficult, both in different ways. I'll have to study my targets.
Then, I gave my first report to Severa Magia. She congratulated me on good job, but had nothing new for me. She just wished me luck on these two writs. I returned back to Balmora, where I'll continue keeping the house in order.
And lastly… I really need to be alone now, don't I? I got too accustomed to sleeping in my brother's arms and having sex so often… That bed's gonna feel cold and lonely for the next couple of days. All I got is Snoopy, but he can't talk, and he can't stay in Nirn while I'm asleep anyway. Hope at least Aliya comes back soon to give me some real company.
Frostfall, 20th, 3E 427
(By Kanna)
I decided to check out what the local Thieves Guild is all about. Aliya had already mentioned me by name to the local ringleader Habasi, who recognized me as soon as I walked in. However, since some newbie's recommendation doesn't mean much here, she wasn't willing to just invite me to the Guild right off the bat.
She said that she has a good eye for talent, and she guessed that I've never probably stolen anything in my life, not even a cookie. "It moves well, but it's not too careful of its surroundings", she said. I was hesitant, but I admitted that she was right: never have I ever stolen a god-damn thing in my life. Thus, it didn't really make sense to her, why would I want to join their Guild?
My reason is simple: protection. I told her my story, putting emphasis on the fact that I'm a criminal on the run from the Imperial City prison. I saw no reason to go on any rant about me being innocent, as I find it hard to argue that would be the case anymore considering that I'm with the Dark Brotherhood, so I simply said that I want to join the Guild for protection. She asked why I wouldn't just be their client instead, but the problem is, I don't really have that kind of money either. She finally nodded said that she's willing to give me a chance, quoting that maybe I can prove myself to be a worthwhile asset in future.
It was a simple, but difficult job: retrieve a sword that belongs to the captain of the guard. We're talking about a big and heavy broadsword, not something that's easy to hide in your pocket. It's also about the most valuable weapon you can find in this city, and easy to recognize to the boot, so getting caught with it means being thrown behind bars. However, the captain is also known to be a little bit careless with his belongings. Habasi suggested that it could easily been stolen during night and as the captain's quarters are not too far away from the corner club, planning a safe route for delivery shouldn't be too hard either.
I did as was asked, and figured out a way to infiltrate the guard tower. It took some ropes, lockpicks, effort and time to get through the window quietly, but once I was inside, the job was very easy. The man was snoring on his bed like a baby and the sword was sitting comfortably near his bed. Yeah, it's heavy alright, but not impossibly so. Could I fight with it? No, but I can carry it no problem. I could easily tie the sheath to my back and get down quietly the same way I came in. And sure enough, since we are in the poorer, eastern side of the town, walking through the small residential blocks I didn't come across a single hired guard.
Habasi's eyes and ears perked up as soon as she saw the sword. She doubted if I had it in me, but since I did, she couldn't deny me anymore. "Thieves Guild will have your back", she said, and paid me thousand septims for the job well done. The sword is a lot more valuable than that, but at the same time, so is the Guild's protection, so it's a good trade.
She also said that she's heard rumors about a young Redguard girl who's walking in and out of the Morag Tong office, and asked if that was me. She noticed that the Ebony dagger I carry looks rather valuable well, and suggested I might be also suited for assassination work. Morag Tong have little to no drama with the Thieves Guild, so this is not a problem, but she suggested that I could be up for another small job as well, one that might require me to get a little violent too.
There's a lad by the name of Ra'zhid who back-stabbed the Guild, stole some Dwemer artifacts from Habasi, and joined up with rivals. He needs to be taught a lesson, with the stuff he stole being brought back. Ra'zhid might be planning on selling them forward to the mainland, while Habasi has a local client for them. It would be preferrable to not hurt him, but it may prove necessary. I should find him somewhere in Hla Oad, which is not too far away from here. Lastly, she told me to "please be careful" and not do anything stupid. "Habasi doesn't know how many allies he has, but he's not working alone", she promised. Information I can gather there should be valuable too, so even if I won't make it back with the artifacts, I can benefit the guild with intel.
I'll get to that tomorrow.
End of current content.