Sgt Buster

A bit of background:  Oblivion is my first video game RPG that I've actually played.  Sure, I've watched friends play Final Fantasy and Xenosaga, but they didn't catch me like the latest Elder Scrolls did.

Since I'm new to this RPG gaming, I'm actually on my third character. The first two were kinda "try-me-ies".  The very first one was a female Thief Wood Elf, named Joa.  The second was an Orc Fighter named Gruk.  Joa will always be number one in my heart, not the least of reasons being that I got her to look a fair bit like Liv Taylor.  She is awesome to play, but she is a real goody-two-shoes, which made for too many head aches playing a Thief.  Gruk is a real "smash and bash" kinda guy, which was fun in the arena, but ... not so much any where else.

Sgt Buster

Now Kheldor ... well, he's Red ... and a Wood Elf.  His skin is as red as can be.  His parents don't like to talk about it much, though Kheldor will confide any of an even dozen stories about his heritage, for the simple gift of a pint of ale and your gentle company.

As you can imagine he's a bit of an outcast from society, so he's had to learn a variety of skills to survive.  He's awesome at alchemy and shooting dinner with his bow.  He also picked up some magic skills along the way, but he'll never tell you where, at least in a straight forward kinda way.  He will tell you he's a Night Dancer class though, but only with a twinkle in his eye.

He prefers the rugged beauty of the northern slopes, so has spent a fair bit of time in the Bruma area.  He really likes the smithy in town - as in after hours “visits” to resupply his adventuring gear for the princely sum of "free".  The Smith was more than pleased to give up his own set of keys to the establishment, though he was sleeping at the time.  Kheldor always thought he'd be pleased passing along his keys at any rate.

Now the thing with Kheldor is that he loves exploring.  Cave here, Ruin there, its all good in his eyes.  With the various nasties that live in the underworld, any good adventurer will have a system for survival.

Kheldor's is a) load a poisoned bow b) shoot nasty c) repeat if possible d) draw poisoned sword, hit nasty many times and e) fireball nasty to a crispy critter f) raid all the treasure chests!!  Fair words for any new adventurer to take to heart.

Get a few pints into Kheldor and his favourite story will soon flow.

Seems there were three brothers that had slighted him one day.  Being a Night Dancer, he did the honourable thing and waited for the neighbourhood to sleep before exacting his revenge.  Carefully, quietly, he broke 5, 10, 20 lockpicks trying to enter their house.  Finally, the door creaked open.  The brothers' house was more like a mansion, but he had time ... and a potion of Night Eye.  Up and up went Kheldor, to the sleeping area, where three doors hid three brothers' bedrooms.  Another lock, another stab at the tumblers and he was next to the eldest brother, poisoned dagger drawn.  A heart beat, a breath and cold steel plunges into a warm neck.  A gasp, a twitch, and one portion of revenge is served well done.

There is still work to be done, so with a clenched jaw and a determined gaze, Kheldor reaches the second door.  This tumbler is different, older, rusted.  Grating steel awakens the brothers, who burst forth to demand the intruder leave.  The best thief knows when to run away, and that’s what our hero does ... until the next night.