20 Last Seed, 3E330

I departed from Seyda Neen at dawn. I decided to walk, instead of take a silt strider. I figured that I should face the dangers of Morrowind head-on instead of avoiding them. I came across a mine called “Ulummusa,” and snuck inside. I quietly moved through it, finding one bandit. I quietly killed her, and moved on. I quietly moved through a doorway when I was struck in the chest by a warhammer (I think I cracked a rib or two) and wielding it was a huge Nord. He was a formidable opponent, but he was slow. He kept swinging that giant hammer at me and I dodged side to side, and with one last swing, I rolled out of the way, bashed him in the face with my shield, and plunged my sword into his heart. He fell dead instantly. His name was Godrod Hairy-Breeks.

I found a silver bowl, with an inscription saying it belonged to “Armand Belvelle,” a hired bodyguard of the East Empire Company. I found a light healing potion and downed it, fixing up my wounds a bit, and left.

When I was back on the main road to Balmora I came upon a young woman named Maurrie Aurmine. She told me that a Dark-Elf named Nelos Onmar stole her jewels, and when I asked if she wanted them back, she said she didn’t care about the jewels. She wanted to meet this Dark-Elf again, she was in love. I was confused, but I told her I would find him. She gave me one of her white gloves to give to him and said he was in Pelagiad, a town I had just passed about an hour back.

I asked around town about the silver bowl and of Nelos Onmar. Mebestian Ence, a trader, told me that a woman named “Pierwette Belvelle” lived east of Pelagiad and across Lake Hairan, a while away, close to Vivec. I decided I would look if I ever headed that way.

I then asked him about Nelos Onmar. He told me that he is often seen at the Halfway Tavern in town. I thanked him, and left. Before I went to the tavern I did some trading and picked up a few new pieces of armor.

I found Nelos in the tavern and gave him the white glove. He admitted that he felt drawn toward her as well, and also felt remorse for robbing her. He gave me a note to give to her. I didn’t read it. I told him that in the morning I’d deliver the message.

I socialized in the tavern, even got drunk. I met a nice Khajit named Ahnassi, who was a member of the Thieves Guild. Ahnassi seemed obsessed with my friendship and asked if I would give it to her, or would she have to steal it. I laughed and told her that I would gladly be her friend. She then told me that her friend, Hrodis, had a “secret,” and also said that Hrodis serves Mehrunes Dagon. I was a bit taken aback by this. I tried to speak to Hrodis, but she was rude and told me to leave.

I then spoke with Ahnassi again, and she asked me to kill someone! Daren Adryn of the Cammona Tong. Ahnassi said that Adryn kept pressuring her to join the Cammona Tong or something (by this time I was very drunk). I remember that she said he would be in Gnaar Mok, in Nadene Rotheran’s shack. If I ever go there I’ll pay him a visit.

I booked a room and retired for the night.

20 Last Seed, 3E330

I departed from Seyda Neen at dawn. I decided to walk, instead of take a silt strider. I figured that I should face the dangers of Morrowind head-on instead of avoiding them. I came across a mine called “Ulummusa,” and snuck inside. I quietly moved through it, finding one bandit. I quietly killed her, and moved on. I quietly moved through a doorway when I was struck in the chest by a warhammer (I think I cracked a rib or two) and wielding it was a huge Nord. He was a formidable opponent, but he was slow. He kept swinging that giant hammer at me and I dodged side to side, and with one last swing, I rolled out of the way, bashed him in the face with my shield, and plunged my sword into his heart. He fell dead instantly. His name was Godrod Hairy-Breeks.

I found a silver bowl, with an inscription saying it belonged to “Armand Belvelle,” a hired bodyguard of the East Empire Company. I found a light healing potion and downed it, fixing up my wounds a bit, and left.

When I was back on the main road to Balmora I came upon a young woman named Maurrie Aurmine. She told me that a Dark-Elf named Nelos Onmar stole her jewels, and when I asked if she wanted them back, she said she didn’t care about the jewels. She wanted to meet this Dark-Elf again, she was in love. I was confused, but I told her I would find him. She gave me one of her white gloves to give to him and said he was in Pelagiad, a town I had just passed about an hour back.

I asked around town about the silver bowl and of Nelos Onmar. Mebestian Ence, a trader, told me that a woman named “Pierwette Belvelle” lived east of Pelagiad and across Lake Hairan, a while away, close to Vivec. I decided I would look if I ever headed that way.

I then asked him about Nelos Onmar. He told me that he is often seen at the Halfway Tavern in town. I thanked him, and left. Before I went to the tavern I did some trading and picked up a few new pieces of armor.

I found Nelos in the tavern and gave him the white glove. He admitted that he felt drawn toward her as well, and also felt remorse for robbing her. He gave me a note to give to her. I didn’t read it. I told him that in the morning I’d deliver the message.

I socialized in the tavern, even got drunk. I met a nice Khajit named Ahnassi, who was a member of the Thieves Guild. Ahnassi seemed obsessed with my friendship and asked if I would give it to her, or would she have to steal it. I laughed and told her that I would gladly be her friend. She then told me that her friend, Hrodis, had a “secret,” and also said that Hrodis serves Mehrunes Dagon. I was a bit taken aback by this. I tried to speak to Hrodis, but she was rude and told me to leave.

I then spoke with Ahnassi again, and she asked me to kill someone! Daren Adryn of the Cammona Tong. Ahnassi said that Adryn kept pressuring her to join the Cammona Tong or something (by this time I was very drunk). I remember that she said he would be in Gnaar Mok, in Nadene Rotheran’s shack. If I ever go there I’ll pay him a visit.

I booked a room and retired for the night.

Brilliant! I was looking forward to this!

It says a lot about the nature of Morrowind that within the space of about an hour of gameplay, our playthroughs are already heading down different directions. I never stumbled across Ulummusa (or perhaps I did, but was too weak to hold my own against its occupants), so I never found the silver bowl you mentioned. Similarly, I don't think I ever really socialised in Pelagiad beyond finding Nelos Onmar. As a result, I never encountered Ahnassi, so you've initiated two foreign quests that I'm excited to discover the outcome of.

The Maurrie and Nelos quest is a great example of how Bethesda can subvert the expectations that have been forced upon fantasy RPGs through years of tired cliches. Any other RPG would guide you into an early quest which involved helping a damsel in distress retrieve her stolen goods. In Morrowind, you're actually attempting to reunite them and kindle a romance. They did a similar thing in Oblivion with the age-old 'rats' trope. I think it's one of the first quests in the Fighters' Guild, in which you're sent to take care of a 'rat problem'. "Alright," you think, "time to go and break myself in by killing some rats. Yet again." When you arrive on the scene, though, it turns out that the problem is something's been eating a woman's pet rats! I'm looking forward to seeing if Bethesda have continued to try and pull the rug from under our collective feet in Skyrim.

I'm already anticipating Entry 3. Safe travels, outlander!

EDIT - I notice you're attaching these blogs to the Off-Topic forum. Have you considered attaching them to the Morrowind forum instead? More people might see and read these brilliant journal entries if you did.

I had never found Ullummusa before either and I've never met Ahnassi as well. It is strange because I've played this game many times and I'm still discovering more and more.

And what you said about the Maurrie and Nelos quest is spot on. It's things like this that make Bethesda one of the best RPG makes of all time. And the cool thing about that Fighters Guild quest in Oblivion is that in Morrowind, the first quest is to kill rats, while in Oblivion it is to save rats. And, the two NPC's you speak to are sisters, just in different games.

I'll try submitting them to the Morrowind forum next time. I didn't think of it until you mentioned it. Thanks for the unput!

@AndyMacneil said:

I had never found Ullummusa before either and I've never met Ahnassi as well. It is strange because I've played this game many times and I'm still discovering more and more.

And what you said about the Maurrie and Nelos quest is spot on. It's things like this that make Bethesda one of the best RPG makes of all time. And the cool thing about that Fighters Guild quest in Oblivion is that in Morrowind, the first quest is to kill rats, while in Oblivion it is to save rats. And, the two NPC's you speak to are sisters, just in different games.

I'll try submitting them to the Morrowind forum next time. I didn't think of it until you mentioned it. Thanks for the unput!

Seriously? Those two characters are sisters? I had absolutely no idea! It's incredible that much attention goes into details as seemingly insignificant as that. Makes me wonder what other little touches between the two games I've probably missed.

Man, all this talk is seriously making me want to fire up either Morrowind or Oblivion, roll a new character and head off in a completely new direction. I still haven't seen the conclusion of the Fighters' Guild and Arena quest lines in Oblivion, and I never even touched the Mages' Guild quests. Get thee behind me, Mehrunes Dagon!

Safe travels, outlander.

Nice, never use the silt strider.

@Baal_Sagoth said:

Nice, never use the silt strider.

I use it if I have to retrace my steps back to some place, or if it is just plain too far. Balmora to Khuul? No thanks, lol.

So glad someone is doing something like this.

Keep it up, duder!

@AndyMacneil said:

@Baal_Sagoth said:

Nice, never use the silt strider.

I use it if I have to retrace my steps back to some place, or if it is just plain too far. Balmora to Khuul? No thanks, lol.

Hehe, right :)

I was half kidding. I absolutely used fast travel sometimes even back in the MW days. But the first Seyda Neen > Balmora journey is a worthwhile one for any self-respecting adventurer.

@Baal_Sagoth said:

@AndyMacneil said:

@Baal_Sagoth said:

Nice, never use the silt strider.

I use it if I have to retrace my steps back to some place, or if it is just plain too far. Balmora to Khuul? No thanks, lol.

Hehe, right :)

I was half kidding. I absolutely used fast travel sometimes even back in the MW days. But the first Seyda Neen > Balmora journey is a worthwhile one for any self-respecting adventurer.

Of course. When I get Skyrim I'm thinking of limiting my fast traveling to using it just when it is convenient. I don't want to be lazy.

@jorbear said:

So glad someone is doing something like this.

Keep it up, duder!

Thanks, man. I shall.