dancing in the faerie ring

another story of thaliendir as sheogorath . this one is very large cope to be honest .

should not surprise anyone that madness of lord sheogorath's followers come in very many shades . this story is about one such follower , mathis teran , who was prone to mindless wanders .

mathis never could talk , really . apart from family who hold dear , people would pity for this , some occasionally even fear , as if one without words is one without mind , one who will attack and think nothing , nothing , nothing .
but mathis could not see any problems with not talk . not talk was how most creatures live - talkers odd ones out !

during one especially long wander , mathis find unfamiliar city . helplessly lost , mathis walk along streets and look for anyone who might help . but whether by hands or by magic , no one would listen to what mathis say , nor give any help , kind words , or comforts .
" animal ! get out ! " these people instead shout . " say something ! speak up already ! "
some go so far as to threaten , violent wishes spoken quite loud to make sure of mathis hear . mathis could do nothing but cry and silently pray , hope heart sing loud enough that lord sheogorath might hear .

and hear , lord sheogorath did indeed .
another wander take hold of mathis , back along those unfamiliar paths , through field and forest alike , until suddenly home become clear and smile with glee . family weep with relief at mathis's return , and all was well .

but that is not where this end : what kind of lord would lord sheogorath be to allow this cruelty ? no , would not stand for that .
one by one , lord sheogorath visit , speak in visions that pain each one , that could not hope to understand . and each one find ... could no longer talk , as if mind and mouth sever from each other .
" be happy ! " lord sheogorath say , through colours and lights and vivid pictures , " to be without voice is gift , not curse . now will share in this gift , to learn truth . "

many did not like this one bit .
to pray was impossible like this - too stubborn to pray straight from heart - and this desperation drive at least one person to submit self to lord sheogorath .
to talk with each other was impossible - too stubborn to use anything but voice - and this loneliness drive at least two people to pure , mindless rage .
to even express these feelings was impossible - too stubborn to make art - and this endless enigma drive at least three to fatal breakdowns .

" enough ! " these minds cry out , " is this not test enough ? "
but lord sheogorath simply smile , message spread across all senses .
" test ? this is gift . will love and live , or will hate and die . "
as days become weeks , and then months , population of city dwindle - until only one remain .
lord sheogorath gracious enough to give one last chance to accept this gift as truly wondrous thing , but this woman refuse .
" pity . "

with no one left to provide , nowhere else to go , and nothing left to care for , woman soon perish alone .
some people spread whispers of this city , this place which mad god so thoroughly curse and destroy . but followers know truth : lord sheogorath bless , and these people simply not worthy enough to handle .

glarthir is paranoid wood elf who feel that 3 townsfolk stalk and want to kill . problem is , none actually know glarthir all that well , let alone want to hurt .
bernadette say seem fairly sweet , but recently glarthir watch on morning routine , and ignore when bernadette say hello . davide and gaston both say glarthir is quiet person who never give any trouble , and toutius say that not know personally but feel like glarthir hate for some unknown reason .

something something , irony that paranoia of stalk make glarthir stalker . not great . so glarthir will ask player to report on if each person is guilty or innocent .
innocent is true for all , but if give this answer , glarthir will rampage and attack player , and insist player is part of conspiracy .
if answer guilty , glarthir will put this person on list for player to go and kill . if refuse this , glarthir will go axe murderer on these people , and from there at least one person will die - might be glarthir , any of suspects , or if really unlucky , all as well as glarthir .

if player suspect and kill at least one person , glarthir will be thankful and seemingly recover . problem with this is that sufficiently paranoid brain will just find new suspects , for one .
and not that paranoid delusion could never make someone violent , but in case like glarthir who later describe self as not violent , would expect to be much more fearful hermit than pick up axe and go kill .
also , kind of just want to see happy .

so here is what happen . thali meet this fellow wood elf , who feel oddly quick trust and kinship , and ask for favour - to please watch bernadette . and thali agree , because maybe right ! but quickly realise not ... and that any answer would probably hurt .
so thali ... leave . leave skingrad and do not come back unless only choice , as think about what to do .
thaliendir later return , now with power and name of sheogorath .
finally glarthir spot , and fly into rage that would abandon in this dangerous place , then rant and breakdown about say all this out loud and now everyone will know and come after . nearby guard pick up on commotion , and make moves to come take away , arrest … subdue if must .

so thaliendir take glarthir's hand and run outside walls , let glarthir hit and kick and get out that anger because ... yeah ... that was shitty to just leave like that .
suddenly some kind of spark hit glarthir , and just ... stop . calm down , at least from peak of feelings . thaliendir responsible for that spark ? probably , but not on purpose . prince of madness and all .

thaliendir get to say what want say from start , that people here do not have any agenda ... and apologise that never did say that , and if can not trust ever again , then understand ...
glarthir do not know , because in some part want to trust and believe . so thaliendir push slightly , ask to please have faith and try , just once , to talk to someone then . glarthir hesitate extremely , but quietly agree .

so once glarthir is in better shape , thaliendir bring to see bernadette , who both agree is least scary . glarthir actually admit to sometimes watch out of fear and apologise before anything else , which surprise thaliendir - thought would avoid topic entirely .
bernadette appreciate this honesty even if pretty much already know , and offer to take around town as friend . promise this is always offer and if feel uncomfortable alone together , thaliendir can come along too .

and so this repeat - glarthir start talk to these people , spend little bits of time ... still slow , hesitant , and easy to panic , but start to find actual support in people now . with time , slowly feel at ease that , even if someone did come after , would have to fight through this whole town and then some to do anything .
at some point , think someone also introduce glarthir to spin and weave … and those become major hobby , somewhere else to put mind and ground focus when things get hard . never as if paranoia all disappear , but build enough support network as well as self faith to trust in honesty and kindness .

something else to note about glarthir : townspeople who gossip about only make worse and confirm in mind that this is true , that everyone watch and hate .
not often people really try to talk , and then when do try , will go on to say to each other glarthir have bad spell and call names . this come to point that even if glarthir take leap and try to interact first , people would sneer at reputation and refuse , then say this sudden turnaround is proof of instability .

from everyone in skingrad , think bernadette do have most genuine concern and care , but no idea what to do when glarthir refuse even polite hello .
but that refusal did not come from nowhere at all . probably this whole paranoia was … if not result of , then at least very much stoke by , people give reputation . reputation say to stay away because of odd rambles and volatility , which develop into full blown paranoia in glarthir that everyone is spy , everyone hate and want to kill because these odd rambles contain useful , deep dark secrets and truths .

so yes . want to see happy . think important that people in skingrad grow to be kind and sympathetic for glarthir , and glarthir also get things to focus on other than this storm inside head .