Vampire Babette's page

As Mikhail approached, Babette immediately reached under her table to start retrieving an envelope. She just smirked at his question, then responded with, "I guess it is rather amazing. A master of alchemy, second-in-command to a guild of murderers, and I can even tie my own shoes, all at the age of ten. Of course, then again, I've been ten for quite a long time. About 350 years, to be more specific." She then opened her mouth and pointed to her fangs, trying to hint to the Imperial that she was a vampire, not wanting to have to state it again for the third time that day.

Once she was sure Mikhail got the hint, she proceeded to open the envelope, retrieving the parchment that was inside. "Now, then, I suppose you're here for your contract, as well, Mikhail?" she asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "I'm going to pair you up with Demetrian here, as well as Delaweiss Strodania, a veteran member here in the sanctuary." She looked to both the Argonian and Imperial before her, nodding to each of them and smirking. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine with each other, but don't expect to get along with Delaweiss for a while. She's...difficult with new members, but don't let her get to you. Anyway, your target is going to be an Imperial by the name of Rufus Delehan. He is well-respected and adored around the city, and contributes much to the community, his business spreading the wealth around the commonfolk and keeping the economy stimulated. So, naturally, someone wants him dead, and it's your jobs to make that wish come true. Apparently Rufus has made this individual feel too insignificant, and his death will help ease that pain."

Babette then handed the paper detailing the mission to Demetrian. "You'll find both Delaweiss and a carriage outside the sanctuary door that you came in," she explained. "As this is both your first contract, neither of you will receive a chance at a bonus, so feel free to kill Rufus in any manner you see fit. Delaweiss has been instructed to both let either of you savor the kill and keep you alive should trouble arise. She may not show it, but she will follow those orders without fail. Take whatever time you need to prepare, but it's best not to keep Delaweiss waiting in the cold; that will only make her more unbearable." She then made a gesture with her hand to shoo the two away so they could shed some blood.

Deciding to step outside of his comfort zone when it came to his skill, Demetrian next went to see Babette in the garden. He stepped carefully through the plants, following the paths, until he stood a few feet from the child.

"Greeting, Miss Babette. I am Demetrian Magnes, one of the newest members of the Dark Brotherhood. I'll gladly listen to anything you may wish to speak about with me."

Babette looked up to the approaching young Argonian, and offered him a sly smile that she had given Kreel. "Ah, yes, Demetrian, good to meet you, Brother," she greeted him, noticing his movements to avoid touching the plants. "It's perfectly alright if you step on them," she told him. "It won't harm them, and I doubt they will harm you, much." She was obviously joking, knowing the Argonian's resistance to poisons. "As I was telling Kreel, I am the second-in-command of the sanctuary; don't let my appearance fool you, as you're much more of a child than I am."

She then seemed to think about what she would need to tell the Argonian. "Well, if you have need of knowledge of poisons, I can provide you some information. I've also been around for quite a while, so I can also share some history of the Brotherhood with you. If you, however, are eager to get out and start killing and earning your keep, I can also provide you with your first contract. You won't be working alone, due to the harsh travel, but I'm sure it'll be quite the thrill for you all the same. Your first few contracts will keep you here in Skyrim, but I'm sure you'll be moving around the continent in due time."

"Good day, miss, may I join you amongst the blossoms?" He flashes his smile at the young girl, assessing the components on hand as he pulls out his 'botony journal,' eager to sketch in new plants, encode their uses, and trade tricks and recipes with another alchemist.

The little girl who was sitting next to the garden looked up at Kreel as he approached, and gave him a nervous smile. She weakly nodded her head at his question, then looked left and right quickly, before whispering at him in a harsh, hushed tone, "Please, sir, you have to help me! These bad men killed Mama and Papa and took me here so I wouldn't tell on them! I want to go home!" She had a rather panicked look on her face, eyes wide and full of desperate need. The look, however, soon faded into a rather mature and deceptive smile.

"Rather convincing, don't you think?" she then asked, her tone leaving that of a little girl to that of a child who was well past her perceived age. "In truth, I'm much less of a child than you are. Vampirism tends to keep the victim rather...fresh, and it just so happens I was bitten when I was just ten. So, for the past 350 years, I've been quite the naughty ten year old girl."

Her eyes caught the journal that Kreel produced, and she gave him a knowing smirk. "Some would say that you at least admire the...art of my kind," she said, hinting that she knew very well how he took the life that attracted attention to himself. "However, it's really poison that you know more about, isn't it? I'm sure Nazir told you that I'm quite adept with them, as well. 300 years of practice tends to make one a master, wouldn't you say?" She waved a small hand over at the garden next to her, full of dangerous-looking plants. "I wouldn't eat any of the crops here, Brother, unless you want to join Sithis now," she warned Kreel. "Take the Swamp Fungal Pod, for instance. Sure, you may feel a little better after eating it...and after you regained your muscle control. When mixed with a blue mountain flower, it acts like a nice pick-me-up when you're bleeding, but if you mix it with a canis root, you'll find that you'll just lose feeling in just about...everything for a few seconds. It's really great out on the hunt if you can get it in your target."

Her gaze then hardened, and she looked like she was about to give some serious advice. "It's not always an easy task to use poisons effectively," she then said. "There are some people who are too paranoid about what they eat, or those in crowded areas where shooting them with a poison-tipped arrow may arouse suspicion, or otherwise resistant people like Bosmer and some Argonians. However, just about anyone here in Skyrim has to visit the local tavern eventually for a pint of mead. The funny thing about mead is that the honey tends to drown out any foreign flavors, so if someone were to, say, be distracted by a brawl caused by a fellow Brother, it would be a simple task to slip some nightshade or a personal brew into the mead and slip out undetected. The most important part of poisoning a target is to never do anything that would make them suspicious of your intentions."

With that said, she relaxed a little, then reached over and plucked a few deathbell flowers for Kreel. "You may like these," she said, "and accept them as a gift for listening to that lecture. If you're looking to delay any powerful poisons, I'd suggest mixing those with a pinch of salt. Also, I am, as Nazir no doubt told you, second-in-command in this sanctuary, so do come by later for your contracts. I hand them out to the lower-ranking members of the family. I've also been around for quite a while, so if you want to take a history lesson, just ask any questions you may have."